#we have travelled too far east please send help
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seattlefactsijustmadeup · 2 years ago
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Pullman Fact #3,281,890:
Washington has no need for a gold standard because our money’s value is backed by caverns full of stockpiled Cougar Gold.
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hythlodaeus-mynewoldfriend · 6 months ago
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Day 5: Stamp no warnings. word count 855
“Thank you, Katla,” Lady Akagane says, flipping through the various letters and missives, finding many of them for her husband. “Has any other news come in about her?” 
The older caretaker shakes her head, “No, my lady, I’m afraid the last thing we know for sure is that she was in Ishgard.”
“And that was over a year ago,” Lady Akagane sighs, waving Katla away, “I will see these to my husband, and see to it that lunch will be suitable to have outdoors.”
“Yes, my lady.” 
Katla gives a bow, leaving Lady Akagane alone in the sitting area, tears starting to form in her eyes, “Where could you possibly be my little Siberite?” The coarse envelope pulls her from visions of what could have befell her daughter, thicker and more crude than the rest of the letters with its grey envelope. While there’s no return address the Kugane ink stamp is undeniable as it sits above a pasted on stamp from the Thavnair embassy. Lady Akagane gasps, fingers rushing to open it, shaking hands pulling out paper with handwriting she knows all too well. “Honey!” She cries out running to her husband’s office, “Honey, my love, take a look at this.” She hands the letter and envelope to her husband, “Tell me I’m not dreaming, that you too recognize the handwriting.”
Lord Akagane exhales as eyes scan to the signature at the bottom, “It’s from her. There is no denying our Siberite’s signature.”
Lady Akagane takes the letter back quickly, hugging it to her chest, spinning around, “She’s alive! My baby girl is alive!”
“What does she say, darling?”
“Hm? Oh yes.” Lady Akagane clears her throat, and sits in an effort to steady her shaking hands.
Dear Mother and Father,
I shall start this off by saying that I am alive and well. I am also no longer in Ishgard, if you could not tell by the post markings, and by the time you get this I will no longer be in Kugane. So there is no point in sending Khutula after me.
I will keep what I have been up to brief. After I spent time in Ishgard, I went to Ala Mhigo to help with the resistance effort. It didn’t go quite as planned so I soon found myself in the Far East! It’s been liberated now, and I got to meet Lord Hien. 
Oh I should tell you I have befriended many a leader in my travels. From the Sultana to Ser Aymeric and to obviously Lord Hien. Which, if I am being honest mother, I can understand the reason for why he was a top choice for you. However we are just friends and I prefer it that way. 
Now that Doma has been liberated, along with Ala Mhigo, I don’t know exactly what comes next. For now I think father will be happy to know that I am finally putting my political studies to proof, as the aftermath is….something. 
I hope you both are doing well. I love you. And please don’t go looking for me. I will return home when I am ready or needed. 
Sincerely,
Siberite
P.S. Please also take care of the invoice I sent. It would be much appreciated. You can even take it out of my inheritance if you would like. Thank you!
“Oh did you hear that honey! She’s befriended Lord Hien and is alive and well!” Lady Akagane squeals, holding the letter to her chest. “Where’s Khutula? He must hear this, he has been as worried as I am. And I now have a lead on her whereabouts.”
Lord Akagane looks down at the handwritten invoice from a pawn shop, shaking his head and groaning, “She spent five million gil on a sword, dear.”
Lady Akagane looks over at the invoice, “No, it was only three. The rest is taxes and fees she has no control over.”
“That’s still three million for a single item. At a pawn shop no less.”
“Oh what does that matter. Our daughter is alive and well, and has befriended Lord Hien most of all!” The woman spins with a smile, “Happy news! Happy news indeed! And should the man truly be opposed to marriage then she has the Lord Commander Aymeric as a friend.”
“I believe he’s the Lord Speaker now that the Dragonsong War came to a close.”
“Hm? Oh right, yes. She has befriended the Lord Speaker Aymeric which is a close second.” She waltzes around the room, “Yes, I shall foster these friendships and encourage them to pursue her, and before you know it she will be safe and married and we will never have to worry about her again, my dear!” Lady Akagane gives her husband a kiss on the cheek, making her way out of his office. “My Siberite has befriended suitable matches, thank the Sisters!”
Siberite’s father begins to write out the withdrawal from their accounts, calling out to his blissful humming wife, “Please refrain from excessive letter writing, dear. We wouldn’t want to scare them off.”
“I won’t! I only mean to pen a few letters!”
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crossroadsdimension · 11 months ago
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Cross found Clive...odd. Not a bad odd, but a good odd. The kind of odd that comes with finding a kindred spirit, but also knowing that there is something strange about him. Secrets kept in his past, perhaps, that he has yet to fully reveal -- or realize, considering the state of his memories.
His awe at riding an airship, despite knowing what they were and never having seen one fly, made Cross wonder where he had come from. His confusion at the aetheryte -- and then amazement at learning it wasn't a source of energy, but that it was a teleportation beacon.
("I...I don't believe teleportation is common, where I am from," Clive said slowly. "We likely use chocobos to travel everywhere, or moved on foot."
"Really?" Cross blinked in surprise. "You must have been quite remote, then. Aetherytes are everywhere across the star, or at least across Eorzea and Doma."
"Hm." Clive looked at the aetheryte thoughtfully.)
It wasn't until the minstrel remarked on his being another world that she could partially put a finger on what made Clive odd. And then there was the fight with Ifrit, afterwards.
("You can transform into a primal," Cross said flatly after their return to Apkallu Falls.
"Eikon," Clive corrected. "Judging by your expression, I assume Dominants aren't common here?"
"Common?" Cross shook her head. "Primals are summoned through crystals and faith, and the ritual to do so has been proven to be dangerous to the summoner. The only one who thought to summon the primal in a way that placed her as its vessel was Ysayle, when she summoned Shiva."
Cross did not miss the way Clive's breath caught. She gave him a curious look. "You...you're familiar with Shiva?"
"Yes," Clive said, voice heavy with something Cross couldn't identify. "My friend -- Jill -- is Shiva's Dominant, just as I am Ifrit's. Although...Shiva was expected. I was not."
Cross frowned.
"An explanation is likely in order," Clive grumbled. "On my world, there are supposed to be only seven Eikons -- one for each element. Phoenix for fire, Shiva for ice, Garuda for wind, Titan for earth, Ramuh for levin, Leviathan the Lost for water, Odin for darkness, and Bahamut for light. There can only be one of each at a time, and when one Dominant dies, someone of their blood in the next generation is chosen as the new one. A second Eikon of fire -- Ifrit -- is not only unexpected, but impossible."
Cross couldn't imagine it. Seven people -- now eight -- at any given moment, capable of transforming into a primal whenever they pleased, without the repercussions of tempering. "Your world is very different from ours. Primals represent a deity of a given group or region; I have seen many that share elements with others, or even combine elements together. There is a settlement to the north made up of vilekin-like beings, and their primal is fire and earth-aspected. Another far to the east is water and levin-aspected."
"Truly?" Clive's eyebrows shot up. "To my ears, that sounds almost too good to be true."
"I would show you myself, but not only has primal summoning fallen out of favor with those once afflicted with tempering, but you also have a place where you are needed." Cross looked at the wolf Clive had summoned from the aether, after destroying Ifrit.
"...yes, that would likely be the wiser course of action.")
They discussed their worlds similarities and differences on the way back to the Burning Wall. Learning of some of each other's hardships and how Cross overcame hers seemed to lighten burdens and strengthen what they already carried with them.
(Petting Torgal along the way was a delight. Cross made sure Clive knew he had a very kind and loyal companion.)
When they send Clive home, Cross makes it a point to grab hold of him and offer a beacon. If there is a chance, and their words are connected, perhaps she could be called to his world to offer aid.
("There's no confirming that this will work," Cross said. "But I feel like having it as an offer of assistance will help you in some way."
Clive closed his hand over the half-formed crystal. "Thank you. Even if it will not work on my return, the offer is appreciated.")
The gift of a wolf mount so similar to Torgal after Clive left was a welcome delight.
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kookaburra1701 · 2 years ago
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WIP Wednesday - What Waits 'Round the Corner
Fandom: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Main character: Lucien Flavius Rating: T for violence Genres: Angst, Hurt/Comfort Summary: There's a reason Lucien only made it to Falkreath before deciding he really needed some hired muscle. Lucien Flavius is from the eponymous mod by Joseph Russell.
26 Sun's Height, 4E 201. Helgen, Falkreath Hold, Province of Skyrim, the Cyrodiilic Empire.
Dear Mother,
I have made it to Skyrim! You were right, the quality of the roads took a dramatic turn for the worse as soon as we were through the Pale Pass. I got out of the cart and walked a bit just to get a reprieve from the jolting. I am resting in a small town called Helgen, just on the other side of the Pale Pass. The town has rough fieldstone walls - not a right-angle to be found - and sits on a crossroads: one road goes East over another mountain pass, and the North and Western roads go down the shoulders of the mountain to a village called Riverwood and the hold capital of Falkreath, respectively.
The mountain is something to behold! I’ve included a sketch in this letter. I can see why it is called “The Throat of the World!” We climbed and climbed coming out of Bruma up to the pass, but I don’t think the mountain top ever became appreciably closer. There seems to be a blizzard up at the peak at the moment, so I guess I would not know. If the rest of the landscape in Skyrim is this dramatic, I think I’m going to be using up all my parchment on sketches!
The letter you wrote certainly helped in this leg of the journey. I was able to convince a Legion quartermaster on her way to Skyrim with supplies to let me ride with her, and the chap in charge of the gate said that his father served under you as a Cornicen in the Great War. Maybe you remember him, Atticus Quinilum. Anyways, the quartermaster’s name is Ranne Straight-furrow. I met some Nords in Bruma but my goodness do they grow them tall up here in Skyrim! She’s got to be a head taller than any of the Colovian-born soldiers.
I’m staying at the inn here, (and really it is just the largest house in town with a handful of extra beds in the loft), run by a nice Nord named Vilod. I won’t be staying long - Helgen is really too small and remote to use as a base of operations, and the Legion makes it more of a target for the insurgents.
I am planning on setting out for Falkreath in the morning; it will be a push to make it down the mountain in one day’s travel, but the road appears well-maintained. I will purchase supplies and send for my surveying equipment. It looks like a good place to set up a base of operations, as it has an inn, and the guards here tell me there is a plethora of Dwemer and Nordic ruins in the mountains. By the time you receive this I should be in Falkreath, so please send any letters there. Even if I move on, Skyrim’s towns are connected enough that I should be able to receive them. Give my love to Father.
Your loving son,
Lucien
“Here lad, I grabbed you some supper. Courtesy of the Legion.”
Lucien looked up from his letter. Ranne towered above him, setting a trencher of bread on the table before taking her own seat. Lucien moved his parchment out of the way of any crumbs and examined the meal. It was simple but hearty fare: some sort of salted fish on coarse brown bread, and a good portion of vegetable pottage to go with it. It was a far cry from the fine foods Lucien had been brought up with in the Imperial City, but after a day of trudging through a snowy mountain pass, his mouth watered just looking at the meal.
“Thank you very much, Ranne.”
Ranne was already tucking into her supper, dipping the trencher bread into the pottage and taking large bites. She grunted in acknowledgement and made a gesture with her mead tankard that Lucien decided to interpret as ‘You’re welcome.’
The experience of eating quickly with no utensils was new to Lucien, and he was nowhere near as efficient as Ranne. She was mopping up the last of the meat juices and pottage with the crust of her bread while Lucien was still working on his first bit of fish.
“Where are you planning to go next, Lucien?” she asked, taking a swig of mead.
“I’m going to Falkreath,” Lucien replied, trying and failing to keep an errant chunk of fish on his trencher. “That seems a decently large enough…settlement… to base my initial expedition out of, without being too expensive or far away from the border.”
Ranne nodded. “There’s a scheduled patrol that will go through Falkreath in two days’ time. I’m sure Captain Hadria will let you follow along so they can escort you down the mountain.”
“Oh, I will be leaving in the morning,” said Lucien. “I have too much to do and to set up, and I want to be able to establish myself and send for the rest of my supplies before the pass closes for winter.”
Ranne stared at him for a long moment before speaking. “I think you should wait. The roads aren’t safe for a lone traveler.”
Lucien looked up from chasing a legume of indeterminate cultivar with a bit of bread-crust. “Oh, nonsense. It can’t be more than four leagues away, all downhill. I should be able to deal with a mudcrab or two! I’ve got a dagger.”
“It’s the two-legged animals you have to worry about here in Falkreath. We don’t have any large wolf packs, but they’re not the only ones waiting for a good kill.” She stood. “I can’t make you wait, though, if you’re determined.”
“Oh, I’m sure I’ll be fine. After all, it’s an Imperial road and those are safe for travelers.”
“That is certainly the Legion’s opinion,” Ranne sighed. “Be careful Lucien. Keep your eyes open. And… maybe write home before you set off.”
“Actually, I just finished a letter to my mother,” Lucien said. “Would you be willing to take it back to the Jerall View Inn? The innkeeper said he had a courier who makes regular trips to the Imperial City.”
“I’d be happy to, lad.” Ranne downed the last of her mead in one swig before gathering her tankard and now-empty bowl. “I’ve got a knapsack for correspondence on the wagon, just put anything you want sent in there before you leave. I’m heading for the barracks.”
“Good night, Ranne. And thank you again for the lift over the pass.”
Ranne waved off his thanks with another grunt and left the mess hall. Lucien turned his attention back to finishing his meal. After returning his bowl to Vilod, he threw his map case over his shoulder and climbed the sturdy but steep ladder to the loft.
There were several beds separated by hung hides and a few cots and bedrolls in a corner for more thrifty travelers. By the dim light of a few scattered candles, Lucien could see that several men were dealing out hands of cards and two of the beds were already occupied. The men looked up when he entered but turned back to their game immediately. The air hung heavy with the smell of soot from the hearth below and hay from the thatch above, along with the sour-sweet smell of yeast from the brewing vats.
Picking his way carefully through the beds, Lucien made his way to the alcove he had been given upon his arrival. His carry-pole was where he left it, along with the old Legion-issue loculus his mother had given him to use on the expedition. Lucien shed his doublet and opened the worn flap of the leather satchel. Briefly, he caught the strong scent of old leather and the hyssop balm his mother favored to soothe the aches and pains she had collected from her military career. An intense wave of homesickness washed over Lucien, his breath catching in his chest. Lucien was glad his back was to the rest of the room as he struggled to compose himself – he was being ridiculous; his adventure had only just started and here he was missing his mother like a child!
The tightness in his chest eased as the smell of home and family faded. While the furca was new and custom-fit to his proportions, the satchel was the same one his mother had carried during her service to the Emperor, and it was comforting to know that he was carrying a memory of her, and of home. After slipping off his boots, Lucien carefully packed his doublet, breeches, and cloak away in the manner she had taught him, and then placed the entire kit under the bed. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he settled into the rough homespun and furs, hearing her voice echo in his head: Always keep everything you possibly can in your pack, Lucien. You never know when you’re going to have to make a hasty exit. He rolled over, turning away from the candlelight from the other side of the loft. The furs were rough, and the worn tick mattress allowed musty hay to poke through the fabric, scratching any exposed skin. Lucien wondered whether he would ever get comfortable moments before the long climb and warm meal took their toll and he drifted into a dreamless sleep.
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dienamights · 3 years ago
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𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖗𝖆𝖌𝖔𝖓 𝕽𝖆𝖎𝖉 | 𝕶.𝕭𝖆𝖐𝖚𝖌𝖔𝖚 | ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯. Ⅲ
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Desperate to escape the wrath of the all too powerful magick wielding Sizithian ruler, your father sends you off to wed the king of the Protectorate of Sha, upon his daunting request.
For the very first time, you set off outside of the confines of your home, traveling east to resentfully start your very unwanted life. But beyond the walls of your kingdom is more than what meets the eye.
The world you live in isn’t as peaceful as you always thought it would be, the mythical creatures whose stories you used to recall to the children of the kingdom stare you in the eye, elves, fairies and mermaids alike. It was also then that you witnessed the full capability of the dragon’s wing to summon an eclipse as it flew over the land below it. And just like all the stories you knew about; the untold tale of the dragon raid will inevitably lead to the greatest war of all.
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═ 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀:  Katsuki Bakugou x Fem!Reader
═ 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁:  4.5K
═ 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴(𝘀): mentions of blood, mentions of an injured individual, mentions of... alcohol?
═ 𝗧𝗮𝗴𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: open
═ 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲(𝘀): we finally meet baku and kiri HEHEEEE
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⤆ ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 Ⅱ
ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯. Ⅳ⟾
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The street market in the Akhirean trade company is the apotheosis of all markets you’ve ever laid your eyes on in your kingdom. Well, your father’s kingdom, it’s huge, standing to the sky for what looks like an eternity in all directions.
You click your tongue to urge the horse -Ageru- to pick up his pace to match the prince’s, eyes nowhere near focused on his highness with the number of colors and aromas engulfing your senses from several feet away. “We- we’re at the trade company?” You’re in awe at the sight, absolutely missing the fond smile Shoto sends your way. “Correct, this is it.” He ponders his next words well before taking a deep breath. “Would you like to take a look?”
You almost lose your balance from turning around so abruptly, blinking at the prince and waiting for him to tell you it's some lame joke. “Yes! Could I? Yeah, yes please.” You nod eagerly, turning back around to look at the masses of people as the prince orders the guards to find shelter until the next dawn.
You ease yourself off of the horse when prince Shoto waves you over, smiling gratefully at one of the guards when he jogs over to take the reins from you and starts feeding Ageru right away. You step out of the shaded area and into the sun, feeling as if you have stepped into an oven ready to be broiled. The heat of the day has already been bad on your way to the trade company, sapping any energy you have to spare, but stepping into the sunlight is far worse.
You’re enamored with the atmosphere of the market, there are crowds of people and an excess of noise, each seller inviting you to their stall with loud slogans and advertisements about their products. You can’t help but crinkle your nose at the overwhelming scents of smokey lanterns, grease, and sewage.
Worried about separation, parents grip their children’s hands tightly, moving in all directions, pushing and shoving; fearing that they would be lost. Everything is in flux, always morphing into a new shape. Despite the noise, the smile never departs from you. The ear-piercing chaos is somehow endearing━ much too different from the deafening silence between the castle walls.
The streets are lined with stalls of fresh produce, fresh foods, clothes, cooked food, flowers, and even jewelry. Fashionable women's clothes come in many colors, some of which are as blinding as the afternoon sun. A few of the stalls are well arranged, while others merely have their wares scattered on the floor. Hundreds of umbrellas of different shapes and sizes hover in the air, shielding customers from the sun. Despite their temporary setup, roadside food stands serve clients with sizzling hot cuisine and refreshing cool drinks, as well as any other items they want. Food prepared in various styles and flavors filled and drifted through the air. The exotic smelling scents, the sweet-smelling aromas, and the tempting fragrances fill and float through the air.
“Pretty lady, buy a pot.” One seller says, “no finer pot in brass or silver.” You nod gratefully, waving farewell when a hand places itself on your back to move you out of the way. “Thank you,” you mumble to the prince, “don’t think I'd have the heart to say no.”
“Would the lady like a necklace?” Another shopkeeper calls, showing you one that catches your attention, a certain force pulling you towards it. The necklace pendant was the insides of an old-fashioned watch, the cogs no longer taking note of the time and were all the more timeless for it. It’s the kind of thing you might find tossed out for being useless, yet to you, it felt like you couldn’t walk a single step away from it after laying your sight on it. “A pretty necklace for a pretty lady,”
“Oh, no thank you,” you say as you try to walk away from the stall, disheartened you can't afford it no matter how much it caught your attention. “How much is it?” the prince asks, taking out a pouch of money and dropping it on the table, the sound it makes when it hits the surface of the counter indicates that it's much, much more than what it actually costs. “Shoto, you really don’t have to━” “Sold!”
With a squeal, you bow in thanks to him and take the necklace to wear it instantly, smiling at it even as it barely reflects any light with its dingy condition. “Oh, thank you thank you! I promise I'll repay you.” Instead of replying━ arguing with you, he simply guides you along the market as you awe and point out at the different shops with a happy grin, excited about trying new food, or touching different fabrics, while the prince only smiles at your reactions, loathing your father for keeping you locked up in your own personal hell and stopping you from enjoying the little things in life.
Large ragged wagons adorned with a vegetable collage were parked beside the street, and their owners stood beside them yelling prices like auctioneers, but instead of a hammer, they had a carrot, which they would use to wade away the flies that were pointlessly dancing around the crops.
“Try this,” the proprietor hands you a slice of watermelon, completely ignoring the sulking prince by your side as you adjust your cloak on your head. “Your tastebuds will sing and dance!” You hum excitedly at the sweetness of the nectar when you take a bite, tearing a piece to hand it over to Shoto, who graciously takes it with a warm flush to his cheeks, and you innocently blame it on the scalding sun above.
It's a tussle as everyone scrambles to get their hands on the goods they're interested in. Many people push, elbow, and shove at each other, some hurrying, some hesitating, some running, and others waving their arms around. The aim of these people is unfathomable. In order to acquire the greatest goods at the best possible rates, housewives of all ages haggle with sellers. Whilst vendors entice clients with gentle words and modest actions.
Occasionally, you’d find the same two men would belt out a song at the top of their lungs, but are immediately silenced when a woman smacks their backs with her broom. There is a crescendo of vendors attempting to outdo one other. On the street, there are several merchants who talk softly and sweetly to each other, as well as noises of sizzling food and ladles hitting woks. To you, street markets in the summer are beautiful, fragrant, and full of intriguing noises. They offer a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere for everyone who attends.
Alas, as night falls, the blue haze of the day lifts, revealing the stars in all their glory. Every time, you get the impression that this is a more accurate portrayal of who everyone is in reality. You wonder, if people were nocturnal would they feel more connected to those far away stars, perhaps sensing the fragility of Earth all the more? Night for you is when the curtain is drawn back and you get a glimpse of what others term "the sky" from the window.
Stars shine in the night sky like snowflakes, but they remain still, like a faded portrait. When the wind blows your garments into a tangle, you smile. There, at the edge of the known universe, they'd be an orchestrated snowstorm. You can only imagine how the stars would move, how the galaxies would twirl and dart. Although while you sit on the bench, hand wrapped around the necklace, and your head softly nodding in sleep, the stars retain their usual pattern. This little instant is watched over by the stars, who have seen ages and millennia pass by in the same way.
The market was in a frenzy, but you have never seen it while it’s sleeping. An air current passes over it and the crumpled paper on the ground is carried along. It seems as though the street has been turned into a graveyard. There was a time when moonlight would elude the clouds that covered the moon. When the market would slumber soundly, ready to erupt again at the first sight of daybreak the next day. Only a few individuals had taken note of the market's real beauty and magic, and you’re glad you’re one of them.
In the starlit night, the black comforting the moon above, the abandoned street began urging you to dream, dreaming of the good times before and the ones you hope would come in time.
You make it to a famous old tavern called Yuuei. The paint on the softwood is as thick as the cream cheese that your mother applies on your bread whenever your father would look away during supper. There are a variety of sun-baked colors hidden behind the flake layers. The old place has become more attractive to you in its decay. While the door, which you can tell was formerly a cherry red color, remains the same, the peelings are various colors of pink that have succumbed to the heat year after year. It will continue to move on its hinges, but with the sluggishness of a senile elder. Cranking sounds reverberate up from below as rafters creak to keep their ceiling from falling in. You only pass by this building and it quickly becomes one of the places you would gladly call home. A place that is the same as every other couldn't possibly make you fall in love with it, can it?
Alas, your journey is nowhere near over, “Um, Shoto-” you wring your hands together until he urges you to continue with an attentive hum, “could I, possibly, take a look around, I- I don’t think I’m done admiring the place.” You pray and hope he doesn't deny you, doe eyes looking up at him pleadingly as Shoto tilts his head to the side in doubt. “I don't understand, your highness,” he says, crossing his arms after handing money to the guards to book them their rooms and search them up before you two enter them.
“Why are you asking for my permission?”
You stand there as if your feet are nothing, so at a loss for words, you can’t even comprehend what he says until he turns around to enter the inn.
“Wait!” you call out and hold onto his arm, clenching the fabric of his shirt as you try and collect your thoughts, “s-so, you’ll just, let me go, un- unsupervised?” “yes,” it sounds so simple, slipping past his lips, as if opening the door for you to live all your imaginations and trusting you to come back to mundanity.
“But why?” You’re not sure why you’re questioning it, you’ve never been given this freedom, it's like you’re so used to not having it, a certain voice reminds you that you don’t deserve it. And oddly enough, it couldn't sound more like your father than it does. “You’re not afraid I might run away?”
For the first time since you’ve met him, you see the prince laugh, alas it’s barely a laugh, more like puffing out excess breath out with a smile. “Now, your highness, how are you gonna rule everything that the sun touches when you’re buried six feet under?”
You swallow heavily, eyes searching for the glimmering suns in his mismatched eyes before nodding hesitantly, fisting the material of your dress as you mumble an “okay” under your breath and turn around to leave.
Though the streets you pass by haven’t heard a sound in a while, there are still the lanterns, stubbornly shining into the night. It’s as if they simply love to share that amber glow, regardless of if anyone admires it, and how lucky do you feel when you’re present to do just that. Under their steady watch, the woodwork brings a nostalgic feeling, notions of romance under rainy skies. This is a street where real life has been, the turning of skipping ropes and shrieks of children, the calling of people getting by trying to earn their livelihood. You let your hand graze the bricks of some buildings as you pass by them, the abandonment is a temporary thing, that the universe would bring the joy back to this place the very next day.
Nothing breaks you out of your trance but the jagged breaths behind a back alley, echoing through the walls despite how labored and quiet they are. When you step into the dimly lit passage, you could see what your ears are telling you already. A person is huddled in the corner, bright red hair pointing upwards as he breathes heavy, incoherent hushed mumbles slipping past his lips as he rocks back and forth. With hazy focus, your foot meets an empty glass bottle -probably that of alcohol- accidentally kicking it and perking the person’s attention towards you. You’re left standing timidly, only then noticing the blond person in the redhead’s lap.
Faint-hearted, you tread carefully to the bloody mess on the floor that only then did you notice. In one shattered moment your heart and breathing stop, just absolutely cease, he’s a bloody mess, they both are, but the blond looks way worse, bloody spit drools from his slack jaw, nose smashed and eyes almost shut just from the swelling, arms loosely wrapped around his guts like he's barely holding them in and honestly, with the amount of beating he probably went through, you’re not surprised if he is. Your eyes get a wide look, bottom lip trembling as you approach them silently, you’re taken aback when a hiss emits from the redhead, and it takes you a few seconds to register the sound as he cradles the blond closer to him and away from you.
“It- it's alright,” you try to sound as comforting as you can regardless of your trembling hands, trying to examine the damage before trying to go and ask for help. “I just- I just wanna help,”
“Help?” the man croaks and you nod encouragingly, reaching over until the tips of your fingers graze the blond hair, his lack of breath is felt through your body, a feeling of tiredness and lethargy. His lungs barely work to bring in the much-needed oxygen, as if he's drowning in the air.
You try to study the harm without tearing up, swallowing heavily when you look up to meet the carmine eyes of the redhead, only then noticing the prodding horns poorly hidden under the scarf he has wrapped around his head, you try to blink away from him, yet your sight never falters away until he grunts at you. “Sorry- sorry.”
“Wait here, I━ I need to get some medications, try and apply pressure on the wound━” the dumbfounded look the man gives you have your shoulders dropping, clenching the fabric of your dress as you look down at him when you finally stand up. “You,” you stammer, “you don’t understand me, do you?” He only blinks in response, showing you the tattered man and uttering the only word he spoke since, “Help.”
“Yes, yes I━ I will help, I will get help and come back, okay?” you place your hands forward and point down to the floor, “Stay, stay here, okay?” Yet, still nothing, a solemn look on his face when he sees you backing away.
You run with that excuse of a dress out of the alley, turning left and right as you try to find one person that could point you in the direction of an infirmary.
“Excuse me!” you call out to two men swaying left and right as they sing at the top of their lungs, and you remember them as the couple who kept singing during the chaos of the market. “Hey! It’s the pretty lady.” the blond one sings, rolling his ‘r’s aggressively and shimmying his shoulder while the other claps clumsily.
“Yes, hello, um, I’m looking for an infirmary, do you by any chance know where I can find one?” You stare hopefully at the two, who only arch their brows at each other before the blond one grins at you lazily. “Whatsit to us, princess?” He slurs out with a heavy tongue, and you hold the urge to gag in his face when you catch a whiff of the stench of his breath. Despite the very obvious disgusted look you give him, he still leans forward, and you stand your ground, no matter how bad you want him to close his mouth and turn away from you.
“Yeah, a pretty woman like you wouldn’t ask for help without anything in return, hm?” the raven head throws his arm around his companion’s shoulders, both cackling at the look you gave them like you’re some entertainer telling the funniest of jokes.
“Oi, Denki!” Your shoulders relax at the sound of the sober woman, recalling her as the one chasing those two whenever they sang loud high enough to deafen dogs. She finally reaches you, smacking the back of the blond -Denki’s- head with an annoyed look. “What did I say about leaving the pub drunk?” She crosses her arms and taps her foot against the floor annoyedly. “to always do it?” Denki smiles and purses his lips to get a kiss from her, only for the woman to smack him again.
“Ouch, Kyoka, that hurts! Hanta, banish her.” the two men start to argue over Hanta not… defending Denki’s honor, rolling on the floor while you and -Kyoka- eye them oddly. “I’m, so sorry about these idiots.” she shakes her head disappointedly, yet you never miss the slight smile on her face, and you tilt your head to the side in wonder.
“Um, it’s alright, I guess,” you blink as you remember your reason for talking to them in the first place. “I was wondering,” she turns to nod at you. “If I can find an infirmary open, a friend of mine is injured and in need of some help.” Kyoka’s eyebrows twitch before she nods and points to the end of the street.
“Old man Torino’s still open, he can help you.” you clasp her hands and bow, shaking both her hands before lifting the ends of your dress to walk faster towards the direction she pointed out to you. “Oh, thank you thank you.”
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You finally make it to the infirmary, pushing the door open and jumping in place at the clinking sound the door makes when you do, you smile at the elder man -presumably Torino- behind the counter, bowing your head gently before speaking. “Hello, my friend is injured and━ and bleeding I was wondering if I could get some ointments and bandages to wrap up his wounds,” Torino silently eyes you annoyedly before he nods, lazily getting off of his chair to go to the back to pack up the stuff you asked for while you tap your fingers nervously at the counter, the lantern’s flame swayed softly with the night breeze and you cant but envy their state of mind, probably not being dragged from their home into another, threatened to be killed with one step out of line, and now having an injured man hidden in an alleyway that needs their help.
“That’ll be a hundred and twenty mora,” the man mumbles as he places the pouch on the counter, and you can only blink stupidly at him as his hand hangs awaiting your payment. “M-mora?” you squeak, in the heat of the moment, you forgot you don’t even have any money, taken away from your house with nothing to spare. Everything is offered to you for free in your kingdom, only able to steal a few times here and there to drop it all off at the orphanage.
“I’m sorry,” is all the man has to listen to for his expression to fall, tugging the bag by its strings and tossing it by his feet behind the counter in case you had any idea of napping it and bolting out into the dark streets. “I— look I, I’ll pay you back tomorrow I promise, I just need this real bad, and I can’t afford it right now, please believe me,”
The man ponders for a bit, his eyes racking your chest and levering a gasp from you, hands stopping their fumbling with the corset’s threads to cover whatever could be exposed from it. “Oh give it a rest, not in a hundred years,” he scoffs, reaching over and tugging at your necklace before leaving it to hang on your neck again. “This’ll do,” he says as he leans down to pick up the things again, waiting for you to take the pendant off to hand it to him.
“No, no,” you shake your head as he laughs, scrunching your brows as he leans back to cross his arms. “Listen here, brat.” his face hardens at you. “Every minute you’re out here arguing is another minute where your friend is left bleeding out, is his life really more important than your rusty pendant?” you’ve never taken a necklace faster in your life, reaching back to unhook it before tossing it into the waiting palm of the owner. “Thank you!” you don’t forget to call as you run out with the hemp bag thrown over your shoulder, running to the alleyway you probably won’t be able to forget about anytime soon.
“Hello,” you whisper as your steps startle the redhead, his red eyes suddenly glowing again as you try and ease him by crouching down, trying to approach him as if he were a wary bunny to help him escape before your father catches sight of it.
“H-help, remember?” you smile when his eyes simmer down and return back to being scarlet, settling in front of him as he loosens his arms around the man and looking at you pleadingly while you open the bag and get out the ointments to help.
“Okay, I need you to lay him on the ground— oh right,” you shake your head, pointing to the floor between the two of you. “Floor, down, down, okay okay yes! Good.” you smile when he after much thought lays the man on the floor and then do you take his feature.
The man has such a beautiful shade of blond to his hair, bringing memories of golden wheat fields, of those many hued stems that dance in the autumn light, whispering gentle songs to your ears as you hid between them whenever you were able to escape the castle grounds into the town. Eyelashes softly fluttering in pain and kissing the apples of his cheeks, the finest of black petals if you ever were to see ones. Chapped lips barely parted to let out small puffs of air as he groans in pain.
You place his arm on the floor to inspect the injuries, taking a deep breath at the sight of the blood covering his abdomen, you slowly unlace his cloak, folding it and handing it to the redhead, who sniffs it and holds it close to him like a little kitten recognizing the scent of its mother.
Pushing the necklaces aside, the tips of your fingers caress the different stones in awe, twinkling in the dim lighting as they shift and land with a low clink on the floor. You take some of the ointment to spread it on the wound, earning a painful wail from the supposedly unconscious blond man as you try to shush him and tell him that everything’s gonna be fine.
Suddenly you’re tossed to land back on your ass, breathing heavily as the protruding claws from the redhead barely miss your legs and your dress falls in shambles as the victim instead. His skin is suddenly splotched in red, as if going through an allergic reaction like that one kid in town whenever he ate those berries from the bushes behind the church, right before he starts swelling up. Except, this time, the man seems more like an animal than not, growling and hissing at you as if you’re a deer finally caught after a wild chase.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” you shout regardless of him not understanding you, glaring him down as he hovers on his hands and feet above the now sweating man, ready to pounce on you if you make one wrong move and interrupting whatever work you had going on. “I’m trying to help, you ass! You coulda hurt me.” The whimper that leaves the blond has both of you staring at him, uttering one word that had the redhead tearing up.
“Kirishima,” he whimpers, before his eyes flutter close again, and the redhead, who you can only assume is named Kirishima, lets out an inhuman weep, sits back on his haunches and clenches the pants of the shirtless man pleadingly.
“Help,” he looks at you, “Katsuki, help.” your heart breaks a second time, dusting yourself off before fixing your posture with a nod. “Okay... Kirishima,” you test the waters, smiling softly when his eyes light up at the sound of his name. “I’ll help.”
After bandaging up the blond, you softly run your hands through his hair, untangling some of it that got matted down with dirt and blood before smiling at Kirishima who crawled to sit next to you as you worked on his companion. “All good,” the embers in his eyes light up, reaching over to hold both your hands, ignoring your flinch when you thought his claws will cut you deep, blinking stupidly at your joined hands when his hands look normal again, and you almost disregard yourself until you remember your tattered skirt.
“K-kogaan,” he stammers, clearly at a loss of words. “What?” you blurt out, blinking at him as he tilts his head. “Kog-- nox! Nox.”
“...Nox?” He nods eagerly when you repeat his words, almost proudly, and it takes you a few moments to recollect your thoughts as you unravel the cloak to cover -Katsuki’s- body. “T-that’s a lot of names to get in one day,” you pinch the bridge of your nose to ease the built-up tension, squealing into the night sky when the redhead jumps you.
You’re leaning back on your palms, breath heavy as you feel Kirishima’s teeth dig into your cheek, you start to hyperventilate, with his face very close to yours and no way of escaping without him keeping a piece of your flesh between his teeth.
After a moment or two, he backs away just a bit, and you push him away lightly, but it’s so sudden it has the man tumbling back, and you take the chance to run, leaving everything behind, not turning back even as the lonely man calls out for you into the night sky.
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⤷ 𝔐𝔞𝔭 ℜ𝔬𝔲𝔱𝔢
⤷ 𝔎𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔰𝔥𝔦𝔪𝔞: 𝔈𝔫𝔱𝔯𝔶
⤷ 𝔄𝔡𝔳𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔲𝔯𝔢 𝔄𝔱𝔱𝔦𝔯𝔢
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bukojuiice · 4 years ago
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fix you.
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ೃ pairing: (village prince! katsuki bakugo x princess mononoke! reader)
ೃ  tags: princess mononoke au! studio ghibli au!
ೃ warnings:  mild use of weapons and strong language
ೃ part 1/2  of the princess mononoke! au
ೃ word count 4.119 words
ೃ 2/??? of @bukojuiice’s studio ghibli au
ೃ  my nav  →  my mha writing masterlist  → my katsuki bakugo x reader smau
ೃ  Loosely based off of Princess Mononoke! Not necessarily a word for word retelling/alternate universe. You can read on without any prior knowledge of this beautiful Studio Ghibli film. Hope you enjoy!
ೃ if you want to be part of this studio ghibli au taglist, send me an ask! or if you want to be a part of my mha taglist in general, send me an ask indicating whichever you want to be a part of!
ೃ  please do reblog if you enjoyed!! (feel free to add tags too because i love reading them and my heart swells with happiness when people love my work!)
ೃ shoto todoroki’s fic (howl’s moving castle au) for those of you who want to read the first in this series!
ೃ taglist: @chibishae34​ @sparkykatsuki​ @ramunegoddess​
 ೃ Katsuki Bakugo is the righteous yet arrogant village prince of the east. The entire village relies on him for protection and for guidance, further inflating his ego. however, after a cursed boar attacks him and the curse is passed on to him as a poisonous mark on his arm, slowly consuming him until he becomes a demon himself. he is exiled without hesitance from his village and is to go on a journey to look for a cure, a journey he might never come back from. With the help of two of his most trusted allies, he embarks on a journey to look for the gods of the forest in where he meets a girl (just as striking as him) who brings him back down to earth, saves him and make him experience a true life worth living.
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“Damn this life.” Katsuki curses under his breath, rolling up his sleeves, and collecting clear water from the riverbend and transferring it into his jar.
“Hey! This isn’t that bad!” Eijiro Kirishima, son of the second in command to Katsuki’s mother, his most trusted ally and #2 most annoying fucker on this planet, cheekily grins, patting the blonde on the back. “We’ve gone through worse things in the past. And yet here we are! We’re still alive! Aren’t we?”
“Yea! We’ll find the forest gods soon! Offer food for them and hopefully they give us a cure! This is going to be easy!” Denki Kaminari, another one of his most trusted allies, grandson of one of the wise elders, and #1 most annoying fucker on this planet, reassures his friend whilst aimlessly fixing the saddle on his elk.
Why did life have to be like this?
Who did Katsuki Bakugo infuriate from high above to have this tremendous bad luck and fate be put upon him? All he wanted was to live a noble life as a village prince, have his mother pass down her position of power onto him, become the new village chief, live a life of prosperity, help his people, and then pass away with no regrets. But life just had to do this to him no?
After an unexpected attack of a raging cursed boar consumed by black slithering enigmas in the hills of Mustafu village, the handsome village prince was the only one able of combat who was around the vicinity at the time. He had no choice but to hurl himself in front of the boar, shooting one of his famed  arrows, sharper than most and one of the best in his arsenal.  The boar had met its demise by his hands. However, not without getting revenge at Katsuki, by passing its curse onto him. The black ooze slithering onto his arm before the animal had fully perished.
That was the worst day of his life.
As the son of the village chief and as one of the most well-known individuals in his tribe, how was he supposed to react?
Katsuki had always been number one. Never once slipping to loss or to failure. Never getting injured. Never letting his guard down. Never disappointing his parents. Never losing his pride nor his mighty personality.
He was the paragon of success.
But, sometimes, the best people feel lost and useless too.
The fact that his mother had easily let go of him, have the wise villager elders speak ill of him and banish him, having to leave everything he had loved and worked hard for, lose his position as a prince, and have the people of his village look at him in abhorrence and disgust, had ended up becoming the most painful experiences he ever had to go through in his entire life.
Leaving quietly at the dead of the night with no proper goodbyes but a brief hug, gift of a good luck charm from his mother, and the willing accompaniment of his two most trusted friends (although he would not like to admit the appreciation he has for them, he was very grateful) on this fruitless journey… He could never have it any other way.
What kind of life was he even going to lead from here on forth?
He didn’t want to stop believing. He didn’t want to lose hope. This wasn’t like him. Katsuki Bakugo knew who he was. He knows how headstrong he is, how prideful, persevering, and how much of a smart-ass he is. He had no time to sulk and contemplate about his demise and what fate had in store for him.
Although, it would be nice if he could release all these pent-up emotions and frustrations at least once. Just once.
He just has no idea how to and who to open up to.
Putting his vulnerable emotions aside, he is going to defy his destiny and take down whatever may come his way.
Making sure no one was going to stop him from doing so.
“Let’s go.” Katsuki jerks his head, gesturing his party members to start walking to the other side of the forest.
“Wait… haven’t we gone there already?” Kaminari protests, not raising his voice nor overreacting because even he knew that Katsuki was on a bad mood as per usual. (With this being the second afternoon of their journey and because they have to leave their animal companions by the river due to how unstable the geographical and terrestrial properties of the forest were.)
Katsuki shoots him a glare, the other blonde clearing the lump in his throat in response. “Okay okay! Let’s go then!”
They quietly navigate through the forest, hearing nothing but the sound of their own feet stepping on the grass, crickets chirping, fireflies flying about, the towering trees swaying with the wind, and the calming yet lonely atmosphere of the woodlands to accompany them.
“Kirishima.” Bakugo calls out coldly. “Are you sure that this is the same forest depicted in the legends?”
“Positive.” Kirishima replies, nodding aimlessly whilst turning his head and taking in their surroundings. “If we spot some Kodama, that means we’re near the tree that stands alone.”
“Tree that stands alone?” Denki asks, tilting his head and sparking a discussion. “Also, what even is a Kodama?”
“You’re the grandson of a village elder yet you’re asking me?” Eijiro narrows his eyes at his other blonde friend. “Kodama are the little white spirits who live in trees. They don’t necessarily guide travelers but instead watch them. They only intervene if ever anything bad happens. If we see them appear then that means we’re close to the spiritual core of the forest. The tree that gives life.”
Yakushima Forest. Located in the southern region, is the settlement of the forest gods and the place where the oldest trees of Japan and those known to man stand strongly. The power and the spiritual energy stored in this wonderous and enchanting forest could only be seen and could only be discovered by heroes and travelers with a pure of heart as the forest was welcoming only to visitors with pure and selfless intentions. However, to those who wish to exploit it and to ruin its beauty will be punished heavily by the gods in the most gruesome ways possible.
Katsuki breathes out a hefty sigh, leading his two other friends who were happily following him from behind. There was this bizarre feeling of anxiety welling up inside him. He was not himself and he couldn’t tell why. All he could do was pretend to remain calm and collected…
He will find that cure.
He will be able to save himself and he will be able to come back to his village, victorious and free of the curse.
Bakugo stops in his tracks when they encounter another streaming river. His two companions almost bump into him with how abrupt he halted in his steps.
There was something amiss in the river.
It wasn’t a bad spirit nor was it some bad energy, but Katsuki could feel something.
There was someone else there.
And he felt that they weren’t exactly the friendly type who would help them.
“Bakugo-sama, why did we stop-“ Kaminari is hushed by his blonde friend before he could even have the chance to utter another word. Kirishima quickly picked up what Katsuki is trying to motion to them and proceeds to quietly scout around the area. “There’s a girl? Wolves too.” He whispers from behind a bush not far from where his friends were standing.
“Let’s go back to the nearby village. Stay at the inn there.” Bakugo whispers sternly, as if not wanting to hear any other remarks from his friends.­
“Wait! Bakugo, I know we’re near the tree. Why stop now!?” Kirishima fussed. He knew something was up. “We’re pretty close. We can just set up a fire here then-“
“I said let’s head back. Damn it.” Katsuki repeated his words. This time, in a sort of a growl. “If you don’t want to go back, feel free to die here if you want.” He starts treading back to the path where they came from. Denki looks at his red-headed friend worriedly, even he, of all people, had finally noticed that there was something wrong with their most beloved village prince. Kirishima nods at him cautiously, the two of them walking together behind Bakugo.
They quickly got back to the small village near the forest with no interruption, as the chit-chatter and the energy radiating between both Kirishima and Kaminari were low as Katsuki was in a even terrible mood, refusing to talk to any of them nor humoring their antics and small jokes.
They continue to spend the rest of their day in silence. With, Katsuki, immediately heading back to his quarters to rest whilst his two other companions remained outside to help some village folk and prepare dinner.
The village chieftain of the quaint settlement had a good relationship with Katsuki’s mother. They were good trade partners and the village chief wanted to do everything in their power to help Katsuki be free of the curse by the means of giving him a private inn to stay in and come back to whenever he and his friends would like to. It wasn’t much, but Katsuki needed all the help he could get on this otherwise hopeless quest. Even if he refused the said offers at first.
After another awfully quiet bonding time with Bakugo at dinner, the convivial duo had to break the silence. Denki had thought of the most wonderful idea of bringing up the topic of the girl who was accompanied by wolves in the forest. Because, hey, it’s a girl in the forest! What could possibly be weird about that?
“Hey! So about that girl that we saw…” Kaminari suddenly speaks up, nudging Kirishima in the arm, signaling him to answer his query. Bakugo barely looks up at the sound of his friend’s yapping, continuing to play with the food on his bowl. “Who do you think was she?”
“She’s most probably the wolf princess.” Eijiro shrugs casually, biting on a roasted corncob. “Yakushima forest is protected by the three animal gods whom we know by now as the forest gods. The Wolf goddess, The Gorilla king, and The Deer god. The Deer god being the most powerful of them all. There have been rumors and reports going around that the goddess had taken in an abandoned human girl, and was treated as one of their kin years ago. The girl holds pure resentment for her own kind and chooses to live in the Yakushima forest, taking down every single human who has negative intentions and evil plans for the land she lives in.”
“Well, if she’s that badass, then you shouldn’t call her a princess. She’s a queen!” Kaminari remarks, biting on his newly roasted corncob, listening eagerly to Kirishima’s tale. Bakugo looks up at Denki and the goofy blonde could have sworn he saw a small smile form on Katsuki’s face.
Kirishima laughs at his friend’s little quip, “You’re right. She’s amazing, isn’t she?”
“You weirdos should get to sleep. We go back to the forest first thing in the morning.” Katsuki stands up from his seat, his hands in his pockets, grumpily trotting away to the inn.
“Oh.” Denki blinks. “That was faster than I thought. I didn’t expect him to be convinced so easily. Did you pull that story from your ass Kirishima-kun?”
The red-haired teen shook his head. “Nope. All of that was real.”
“For real? You’re not joking?”
“Yup.”
“Oh, that’s cool. Goodnight then!” The other blonde leaves his seat, patting Eijiro in the arm before leaving and going back to his quarters.
Kirishima looks up at the glistening night sky, a few stars present in the sky to greet him a wonderful night, the boy hoping he would find an answer amongst the stars. “May the gods help us in our adventure.” He breathes a hefty sigh, closing his eyes. After a few more minutes of praying for guidance, he puts out the fire and retreats back to his room.
The night passes by quickly, another day of their adventure waiting to unfold.
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“Don’t you dare come back here you disgusting prince.”
“No one wants him here! Got it? Let him go on this adventure and never come back!”
“He’s just a burden. To be cursed by an animal as simple as a boar? Pathetic.”
“Useless vermin.”
“Banished forever? How sad.”
“A prince falling from grace? Predictable.”
The voices of the village people echo in his head.
These were words from them that he was not meant to hear. Ones that he accidentally heard before leaving that same night. These were the words that will haunt him forever.
He, Katsuki Bakugo, of all people, would let all these horrid, vile, and false words get to him?
These were the same words with the same meaning that he’s heard hundreds and hundreds of times from different people, yet it never got to him. He chose to ignore them.
But, why now? What was going on?  Why was he feeling this way?
Katsuki awakens at the dead of the night. Beads of sweat falling from his temples, his breath hitched and his body aching. He was not himself right now and this intense feeling of uneasiness and torment confirmed it. Although, he wanted to keep this to himself. He didn’t want anybody else to know what he was feeling. He could overcome this on his own. He could do this all on his own.
“I’ll show them.” He continues to breathe at a fast pace, still a bit shocked by the nightmare he had just seen. “I’ll fucking show them that I am the prince of the Mustafu tribe.” He props himself up from his sleeping mat, reaching for his neatly folded clothes beside him. “And nothing’s going to change that.”
Katsuki begins to get dressed, feeling nothing but anger and determination running through his veins. He puts on his grey vest and wraps his red cape onto his back. He continues to put on his ensemble when a sudden rush of pain begins to throb in his arm. Bakugo’s immediate reaction is to curl up, holding his stomach to try and ease the pain.
The curse was acting up again, reacting to the anger and negative emotions that Katsuki was feeling right now. The blonde winces in pain, kneeling down on the floor to take a hold of his arm that was manifesting a glowing blue and black aura. His muscle continues to throb and he could do nothing but hold it down and take in all the pain until it eventually goes away.
After several minutes of resisting and trying to ease the pain by thinking of more positive and enlightening thoughts, the throbbing suddenly stops. Bakugo goes back to breathing at a normal pace. He rests for a few minutes, making sure that his body was functioning properly once more before he quickly heads out of his private room to head to back to Yakushima forest, searching for answers. He didn’t have time to wait for Kirishima and Kaminari anymore. He was growing impatient, and hearing the haunting words of his village people circling in his head fueled his will power to get this whole ordeal done and head back home.
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It was finally the end of another day protecting the forest.
You were about on your daily patrol with the wolf goddess and your wolf siblings, when you encounter three young men who looked like they were lost in the woods. You immediately assumed that they were looking for the tree of life. But they weren’t like the others. They weren’t finding it for selfish reasons. They were looking for it in hopes to find a cure for a curse. That’s what their auras were trying to show at least.
One of those men particularly piqued your interest.
He was… handsome? Was that the word that humans used?
He had ash blonde hair that spiked upwards at all angles, passionate red orbs that gave him such a striking appearance, as if he could hold up the world in his hands. Calloused hands that had taken a part in many battles, a muscular build like that of a noble warrior, a shining sword just as big as him and an arrow that he looked like he was adept at using.
Yet despite your observations, there was this mysterious air around him that you just couldn’t understand.
“(Y/N)? Dear? Is anything wrong?” The elegant white wolf goddess, Moro, calls out to her human daughter, with a worried look.
“I saw 3 dorks by the riverbend on our patrol a while ago.” You say rather jokingly, trying to remember their faces. “I should have struck them down when I had the chance.” You shake your head, reaching for the knife in your skirt and grasping it.
“How so?” The goddess twitches her ear, as if raising an eyebrow at you. “Did you feel any bad spirits within them? Any emotional aura? I told you to do that before attempting to attack anyone remember?”
“There was this particular man among them who had strong energy. He was radiating a gloomy yet aggressive energy. Like that of a person hiding their true emotions to remain strong and brave to the outside world. I kind of felt sorry for him.” Your voice trails off as you nestle your body next to the wolf goddess, along with your siblings who were cuddled up next to you too.
“Why don’t you go check up on him then?” Moro replies casually, as if teasing you. You raise your head up, feeling a tint shade of pink appear on your cheeks.
“W-what do you mean?”
“You know what I mean.”
A shrieking noise began to ring in your ears, signaling that a human has entered the forest. You quickly rise up from the bed of leaves you were sleeping in. Running out of the cave, you gallop down a slope and sprint your way to the foot of the forest. The spirits guiding you to where you needed to go.
You feel the hostile energy yet again.
Could it be the young man from earlier?
When he enters your field of vision, you climb up the nearest tree to get a clearer look at him from above and from afar.
He still had the same expression plastered upon his face since this afternoon. An irritated and scornful look, yet there was kindness in his eyes that you couldn’t describe.
It wasn’t the kindness that you would see from the eyes of a regular person but it was a kindness that was combined with a desire to protect the people around him. It was different and oddly comforting.
You continue to observe his every move, waiting for him to mess up or try to hurt the magical properties of the forest before you confront him to ask why the hell was he even roaming around in the forest, in the middle of night like a fluffy dog.
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Katsuki noticed you standing on the tree-tops.
You weren’t exactly the greatest hide and seek player.
However, he chose to shrug you off and ignore you as he continues to look for traces of spiritual energy that could lead him to the tree of life.
Based on the stories that Kirishima had told, he was actually a bit surprised by your appearance. He couldn’t make out your face with the mask that you were wearing but he noticed your mildly disheveled hair, the ragged clothes you had on, a cape made of white fur and a necklace adorned with three fangs hanging on your neck. From that alone, he knew you were a princess. Not your conventional princess per se with all the jewelry, intricate headpieces and beautiful dresses but, the presence that you have has sort of a dignified feel to it. You might not look like the part but you embodied everything that a princess should be. Headstrong, intelligent, confident in her beliefs, and never afraid to stand her ground.
That’s what Katsuki thinks at least.
With all the stories that Kirishima had recited about the Yakushima forest, you were one of the most interesting bits.
Katsuki Bakugo was enthralled by you in more ways than one.
You were a mysterious enigma that he had to unravel.
You were getting a bit tired of watching him aimlessly roam around the forest. He was absolutely going nowhere which is funny because he didn’t strike you as a person who had no sense of direction. In an alternate universe, he’d probably be kidnapped by some villain or bad guy if he continued to be reckless like this, just walking around without a care in the world.
You spoke too soon.
You barely dodge a sharp arrow that pierces through a tree. It wasn’t from the young man you were watching but from someone else. Thieves. two of them.
You forgot that you weren’t able to sense other humans entering the forest if you focus on a particular one. It completely slipped your mind that there would still be sick individuals who would try and attempt to find the riches of the forest despite the many incidents happening time and time again warning humans to not enter the Yakushima Forest if they want to explore it for their own selfish desires.
You hastily jump down onto the ground, releasing a flurry of punches and kicks at the thieves, knocking 2 of them unconscious. You thought that the fight was over until you hear agonizing screams from the other side of the forest.
You quickly sprint your way there, hoping nothing serious had happened and no one was hurt in the process.
You arrived in a secluded area, tall trees covering the sun or the moon for the light to seep into, resulting in a dark and gloomy atmosphere.
You stop in your tracks when you notice six thieves unconscious on the ground too. You were about to breathe a sigh of relief when you notice that the boy was panting heavily, injuries and deep wounds were present all around his body. He was terribly injured. He stares at you for a few seconds before collapsing onto the ground.
You grit your teeth, approaching him with a scornful look. “You’ve wasted your life by getting in my way!” You sheathe his blade from it’s scabbard, pointing it directly to his chest. Katsuki’s chest rises up and down, a sign showing that he was breathing normally but was at the brink of unconsciousness.
“I’ll cut your throat! That will shut you up!”
“You’re beautiful…”
He mumbles, his eyes fluttering open, making intense eye contact with yours.
You suddenly feel your heart race, thumping loudly. You pull the sword away and jump away from him. You were taken aback by his words because of how he caught you off guard just like that. Who gave him the right to do this to you? Who was he in the first place?
Why did he make you feel all these soft and mushy feelings right now?
Who gave him the right to do this to you?
A human being? 
A feeling sparking in your chest...
Is this what humans  call love?
-        To be continued.
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kaekiro · 4 years ago
Text
The Two of Us
Pairing: Eren/Mikasa II Rating: T II Words: 2334 II [AO3] Warnings: Manga Spoilers for ch138 and mentions of sex A/N: Snippets of the life Eren and Mikasa could've had. Eren's POV. 
He had long forgotten what peace was, what it felt like to be free of burden, and what it meant to be normal. But he rediscovers it in the songs birds sing early in the morning, the scent of pines just east of their home, and in her quiet but discernible breaths when she falls asleep at his side. He’s never seen her rest so much or known her to be the sleepy kind, but having led the life they did before finding this place, he thinks that she deserves the sleep more than anyone. The warmth of her body at his side is reassuring in its own way, and for once he doesn’t feel guilty for deciding to spend the day resting alongside her, because now they simply could. 
They quickly established a routine once they had settled, taking turns with chores and cooking and small tasks in between. Bit by bit and day by day, the familiarity of it all puts him at ease, but it’s the changes between them that truly give him a sense of peace. It’s the softness of her hands and voice that makes him feel incredibly safe, and he relishes in how she relaxes when he reaches for and draws her near. 
He learns and memorizes little things about Mikasa, her small habits and talents in sewing and embroidery, and how well she could carry a tune. She had been slightly embarrassed and shy the first time he had asked if she could sing for him, and he wondered if she was even aware of her own talent. During that time, they had decided to have lunch in a clearing she had found some time ago while hunting, one that was decorated with foliage and the greenest grass he had ever seen. Rays of sunlight seeped through and between the leaves of the tree they sat beneath, and he had reached a hand up to study how the light spotted his skin in an array of shapes. She took that hand in hers, and he looked up at her from where he lay against the trunk. Wordlessly, she coaxed him to rest his head upon her lap, closing his eyes as she ran her fingers through his hair. He could have never imagined being like this, unable to believe how different his life is compared to mere months ago. But he starts to become restless when the thought reminds him of everything they left behind, the pending consequences behind it. 
“Sing for me,” he heard himself ask quickly, focusing all his attention on the light blush that colored her face. “Please.”
“You… you want me to sing? But… why?” 
“I…” he began, tightening his grip on her hand when he failed to explain without going back on their promise to not bring up such things. But maybe it showed on his face because her expression shifted into a soft one, and she thumbed a short lock of hair away from his forehead in understanding. 
“What would you like me to sing?” 
“Anything,” he murmured, resting their joined hands on his chest, “anything you want.” 
She nods, and he closes his eyes again, the beautiful melody of her voice lulling him to sleep. 
---- 
They both wonder if they’ll ever be able to fully remedy the nightmares that plague them. He feels awful every time his yells or sudden movements scare her awake, and she apologizes when he wakes to find her crying. Perhaps there is nothing that will fully prevent such things from happening, but it brings them closer together anyway. The cabin had two rooms across from one another and, afraid to cross some unknown boundary, he originally slept separately from her. But soon enough, they found themselves walking across the hall in the middle of every other night when one of them had a nightmare. Sleeping next to one another from then on became normal, almost a necessity, and she didn’t question him the first night he went into her room unprompted just to lay beside her. Instead, she turned to wrap her arms around him and he fixed himself so that her head was tucked beneath his chin. His heart beats a fast but content rhythm at how natural it was to be like this, and though it scared him a bit, he sensed deep down that it was because he was somehow falling even more in love with Mikasa. 
Over time, the furniture in his room collects dust.
----
Sometimes, they argue. The reasons range from small mistakes that come off as careless to things that have either of them venomously questioning whether they made the right decision in running away together. Though it very rarely happens, the latter argument cuts so far deep, effectively silencing and reducing them to stare at each other in a mix of hurt and anger. The argument never progresses farther than that though, and instead ends with her closing their bedroom door behind her and him engaging in work to distract himself. But when their emotions wind down, they seek one another out, and they work to resolve the issue no matter how long it takes. He knows that the hurtful things said were out of anger, but it does little to assuage that constant fear that deep down, a part of her regrets their decision. 
“Do you ever wonder what would’ve happened if we stayed back there?” he asks her one night as he lays next to her, looking at the book at her lap and then up at her.
The question visibly startles her, and she stares at him with more concern than he expects. She promptly closes the book. “What?” 
“It’s just that… sometimes I worry if…” 
“If what, Eren?” 
“If you are really okay. Being here with me. I’ve made a lot of mistakes… and I still don’t fully understand why you choose me.” 
It’s silent for a moment as his words hang in the air, but then she twists her body towards him, taking his face in her hands. “Eren, listen to me. I choose you… because you’re you. I meant what I said that day, that hasn’t and won’t change.” 
His eyes begin to sting as they look over her thoughtfully, and she implores him to believe her by kissing his forehead and lips and encasing his body with hers, whispering the only three words that could put his fears to rest. 
----
He accidentally stumbles upon her as she dresses for the day, his eyes widening at the unexpected sight of her clad only in a skirt and bra, her blouse in one of her hands. He quickly turns away while apologizing profusely, feeling his face burn hotly as he drags a hand down the length of it in shame. There are sounds of clothes rustling, and then her footsteps as she crosses the room to stand in front of him. Her own face is tinged, but she offers a sweet smile when he finally manages to look at her. 
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” 
She walks out of the room then, leaving him to stand there, confused and unsure of what to make of her words. He swallows around the dryness in his throat, forcibly distracting himself with thoughts of other matters. 
Though after the incident, he senses another change between them. Without realizing it, the few reservations they still had despite being together had disappeared, and they became comfortable with one another in ways they hadn’t before. More often than not, they get ready for the day and for sleep alongside each other instead of separately, and their affections are no longer prompted solely for consolation but within the little moments of their life. Sometimes she kisses him upon thanking him, and he takes her hand in his when they travel somewhere together. And sometimes, they crave more than chaste kisses and innocent touches.
The night had been like any other. She had just finished changing into her nightgown as he entered the room, feeling too lazy to get ready for bed just yet. He sat at the edge of the bed and fell back, unsure why he was more tired than usual. She moved to sit and plop right beside him, voicing the bit of concern she had. In turn, he insisted that it was nothing, but as he spoke, something caught in his throat that sent him into a coughing fit. He had to put his hand up and wave her off so that she’d know it was nothing serious, but she gets up and returns with a glass of water to help him anyway. He sits up and downs the entire thing in a few gulps, feeling instant relief. 
“Thank you,” he says quietly, tugging on her hand and looking pointedly at her mouth. She leans over and kisses him, humming against his lips. She pulls back slightly, and they gaze at one another until she kisses him again, again, and again. 
Mikasa uses his shoulders to balance herself, and he lightly runs his palms over her forearms. His eyes open in somewhat of a daze when she suddenly stops, and he gives her a questioning expression when she suddenly looks somewhat nervous and contemplative. Before he can ask if she’s okay, she kisses him fiercely and slips her fingers beneath the collar of his shirt. It takes him by surprise but he hardly thinks much of it as he returns her kisses with equal fervor, his hands moving from her forearms to the small of her back. It when she pulls back and she shifts to straddle his lap and press her body completely against his that he begins to pick up on what’s happening, and the room starts getting too warm because he is acutely aware of how her nightgown has ridden up on her thighs, how the heat of the newly exposed skin is easily felt through his own clothing. His wide eyes convey questions and concerns, and she answers by taking his hands and kissing his knuckles, guiding his fingers to the edge of her gown. 
“Mikasa—” he whispers somewhat urgently, stilling their movements and she pauses, averting her eyes as she leans back. 
“Sorry. I… didn't ask if this was okay.” He shakes his head immediately, keeping her from moving away. 
“That’s not what I meant,” he says more firmly, curling his fingers around her wrists. 
“It’s…” a sigh escapes him in a heavy, nervous breath. “What if I hurt you?” 
Her mouth hangs open a bit, but then closes with a small but reassuring smile. 
“I trust you, Eren,” she answers before kissing his cheekbone, her lips very close to his ear when she adds “only you.” 
Her words and silent affirmations send a jolt through his heart and bones, and within moments they are nothing but a tangle of limbs as their mouths mesh and gasp for air between kisses. She helps him remove the thin cotton of her gown and undo the buttons of his shirt, and he leans back against the bed to feel the pleasant weight of her above him. They take their time in mapping out the expanse of bare skin, kissing nearly every scar and birthmark, and though their touches and movements are clumsy, it is nothing less than perfect because it’s with her. 
In the morning, he finds her neck and chest dotted with light purple marks. It’s the ticklish sensation of his fingers smoothing over the marks that wake her up, and he feels relief when she says that they don’t hurt. He apologizes anyway and she shakes her head, moving her body to fill the space between them before falling back asleep. He doesn’t think he’s ever felt more content.
---- 
He tries so very hard to mask the effects this curse has on him, carrying an extra handkerchief in his pocket to quickly wipe away his nosebleeds, or alter his breathing to stifle his harsh breath after carrying something. But he should’ve known that not even this could slip past her. His days are dwindling, and she watches over him intently and holds him even tighter. If they had been younger, he probably would’ve snapped at her for it, assuming she thought him to be weak. But that was never the case. He knows she’s scared of what’s coming, and it devastates him. The last thing he wants is for this, for them to come to an end. He became so angry and frustrated because the closer he was to dying, the more he wanted to live. He carried guilt for having ended up this way, but it was her who told him that none of it was his fault, that life had dealt them a tragic and unfair hand. 
“Hey…” she murmurs one night as they sit in front of a fire, looking up at the glittered expanse of sky. He moves a bit in her arms, letting her know that he was listening. 
“Do you think we’ll get to meet again? In heaven? Or maybe in another life?” 
The question stings. She sounds so tired but hopeful, and he does not want to lie and say yes when in reality, he had no clue. He tells her exactly that, and she only hums in response. 
“Well… if there is… I’ll find you. And maybe we’ll have better luck then.” 
The fire crackles, sending a cloud of embers into the sky. 
“Not if I don’t find you first,” he answers after a few moments, his attempt at lightening the mood successful when she huffs in amusement. He pulls away from her, prompting her to meet his eyes. 
“Mikasa… no matter what happens, we will always be together. Afterlife or not, I’ll be with you, and you’ll be with me.” 
Tears pool in her eyes and cascade down her face, her voice choked as she says, “promise?” 
He wipes away her tears, and though his own throat tightens, he smiles. 
“Promise.” 
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wisehq · 4 years ago
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Mission Debrief: Chapter Forty-two
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...It's all coming together.
I'm just going to come outright and say it; I had no idea what to write for this review- not because there wasn't anything to discuss, but rather this chapter gave us so much that I didn't know what to focus on first. Chapter forty-two has single-handedly thrown open the doors to a hundred different theories, and believe me when I say that after a whole night of redbull and theorizing I couldn't come up with any clear answers (the folks over at the Strix discord group can attest to that).
So here's what we're gonna do; I'm not going to focus on the chapter itself.
It was cute. Cardshark Anya is hilariously awesome. Damian is a little shit (whom I adore), and the chapters where the kids can just be kids are- in my opinion- the best.
That's all I'm going to say on the matter. For the rest of this review, I want to go over all the facts we know so far about the story and setting. All of the things Endo has been slowly building up in the background and the pieces that we can stitch together from them, starting with this chapter. Two key things stuck out to me.
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In the entirety of the story up till this point, this is the first time we have heard mention of a royal anything- and not only that, but this chef is a former royal chef. This of course implies that a) said chef was fired (not likely given that Eden wouldn't likely associate with someone who was disgraced like that) or retired, or b) that there is no royalty anymore. Ostania is a totalitarian state and the main power of the government- from what we've seen- lies with the ruling political party, i.e the National Unity Party, a.k.a Desmond's party. Such a political structure would have no room for royalty in a governing capacity, and therein begs the question; is there still a royal/noble class- albeit in a non-governing sense- or was it abolished sometime in the recent past?
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Classical language is not proper speaking and diction like I had originally thought. Classical language is a specific term typically used to describe a dead language or dialect (think Latin, or Hebrew before it was revived). I find this particularly interesting because under no circumstance would a child as young as Anya know anything about a dead language unless- as Loid points out- she was exposed to it as a toddler. It would have had to have been when she was very young, as she herself doesn't realize she knows this information. This would mean she likely learned it from her birth family; Anya was old enough to remember the lab and scientists, meaning she became Subject 007 later on in life- otherwise she would have remembered knowing classical language.
These two concepts are incredibly important to keep in mind, both now and later on as the story progresses. We now know that a royal class plays a factor in the political game that Twilight and everyone else is playing, and we know that Anya knows information that she shouldn't know otherwise (even with her mind-reading powers). So where does that leave us?
Honestly, for the first time...I'm kind of stumped?
Let's look back at the story and see what else we can piece together- maybe there's something in there we can extrapolate for our purposes. Another clue to point us in the direction that Endo is seemingly funneling us towards.
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From chapter forty-one
Franklin Perkins was a man who believed in making his country a better place to live. In his eyes and from what he saw, Ostania wasn't going in the right direction- but why? He blames his lack of money for his mother's death, and we see him hold resentment towards the government over socialistic policies. Wealth is something to be shared with others, not hoarded for ones self. That seems to be where Ostania's moral compass is pointing towards, but is that really the case?
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From chapter 39
Mr. Green mentions that people have been fleeing to Westalis; from the way he says this it sounds like this is happening currently- not in the past- and people are going so far as to travel through a third country just to get to Westalis. Such a journey isn't without its perils, so anyone attempting to crossover from Ostania would likely be taking a huge risk in doing so. Not only that, but most of what we've seen in the story is Ostanians loathing Westalins...so what would compel people to do this in the first place?
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From chapter three As Anya reads the minds of people gathered at a politcal rally near the start of the manga, we see their disgruntled thoughts behind her. There's multiple mentions of losing jobs and not having enough money- some people are even hungry. Most of these people blame Westalis for their troubles, though not the leader of the rally, ironically.
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Also from chapter 3
We find out (and often forget) early on that there are multiple political parties in Ostania. Donovan leads the National Unity Party, whereas the political rally we see here is hosted by the Nationalist Party. The latter preaches peace with the west, but many of the people gathered reject this outright. This is important; the N.U.P is the most successful political party in Ostania, which means a majority of the country's citizens approve of their platform. If we're to assume the Nationalist Party's platform is to advocate for peace with Westalis, then we must also assume that the N.U.P stands for the opposite; direct aggression with the west.
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From chapter 31 The Zacharis Dossier, though ultimately a bust, hinted at rumors that have permeated East and West since the start of the cold war. We know for a fact that human experiments did indeed take place in Ostania, so it also stands to reason that there is at least a kernel of truth to the claims of P.O.W (prisoner of war) massacres conducted by the west. It's a heinous crime, and also one that leads to another question; why would any country go through with it in the first place? In addition, piggy-backing off the former point;
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From chapter 19 While Loid details Project Apple, he uses the word 'regime' to describe the former Ostanian government. The literal definition of a regime is a government, especially an authoritarian one (Oxfrod Dictionary). I won't highlight all the specifics of what is and isn't authoritarianism, but essentially the point I'm trying to make here is that the current Ostanian administration is still very much a regime. Donovan acts as the authoritarian ruler (or would-be ruler; we don't know if he's actively in charge or is looking to usurp power for himself) and continues on the legacy of the former government. We know for a fact that this is the case because Anya is only at most 6 years old, likely even younger. That would mean the experiments being run on her had to have been recent, which fits with the time frame that we established at the beginning of this rabbit hole- it also aligns with what we know about what Donovan has been doing on the back end of things. Those who have kept up with my reviews know what I'm talking about; gloom pharmaceuticals, the truth serum, OSO-R, etc. All of that, which then leads us to...
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...right back where we started. So...what then? What can we conclude from all this? At least a few things;
Anya is tied to Desmond- either directly or indirectly.
Anya's past is also Ostania's past; she's familiar with a dead language that's no longer spoken, and there's definitely a reason why no one speaks it anymore.
Ostania is in a period of political and economic turmoil. This also comes on the heels of a (possible) former monarchy, and the struggle of a country willing to embrace authoritarianism so long as it means staying alive.
WISE and Westalis are not innocent in this game of chess with Ostania and the SSS, and more than likely have committed atrocities that may or may not be directly tied to Ostania and- possibly- Anya's past.
And...this is as far as I can go. I've hit a wall, as have other people I've talked to. We're still missing pieces to the puzzle. Endo will of course provide us with more clues and theory fodder as the weeks and months progress, but for now this is as far as I can go on my own. On the one hand I feel defeated because I can't come up with a meaningful explanation for everything and present it in a neat little bundle for you all to read, but on the other hand I'm thoroughly enjoying this. I'm more engaged with this manga and story than any other I've read before; I'm at the edge of my seat every week, and I'm sure most of you are, too. For now, I'll leave the review here. I find it fitting to leave it open ended, just as Endo did with Loid's self-imposed question. Hopefully, like him, we can find answers in the near future.
Also, BONUS...
...No fun panel with a snappy comment this time. Instead, I’m going to humbly ask for your help.
If you have any ideas about where you think the story is going, theories as to how everything fits together, or just really want to discuss the manga with other fans- please check out our forum and share with us. We’d love to hear what you all think; not only that, but a lot more heads makes theorizing both more productive and a whole lot more fun. Check it out if you have the time, or- if you don’t feel like clicking on any links- you can always leave a comment either on this post or send us an ask or message. Anytime, any reason, we’d love to talk SxF.
Again, thanks for reading, and we’ll see you all next chapter!
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neopronouns-in-action · 2 years ago
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026: The Great Machine, Parts 1 & 2: On the Road, and The First Night
Neopronouns: xe/xim/xis/ximself, ze/zim/zis/zimself, li/lia/lias/liaself
All three sets follow the same rules as he/him/his/himself:
Replace he with xe, ze, or li
Replace him with xim, zim, or lia
Replace his with xis, zis, or lias
Replace himself with ximself, zimself, or liaself
EX:
"He is going to adopt a new puppy soon, as soon as he gets a fence set up around his yard so the puppy can go outside without him having to walk it. His uncle is going to help set up the fence, since he has a set of power tools he’s letting him use, since he lost his.”
Becomes:
"Xe is going to adopt a new puppy soon, as soon as xe gets a fence set up around xis yard so the puppy can go outside without xim having to walk it. Xis uncle is going to help set up the fence, since he has a set of power tools he’s letting xim use, since xe lost xis.”
or
“Ze is going to adopt a new puppy soon, as soon as ze gets a fence set up around zis yard so the puppy can go outside without zim having to walk it. Zis uncle is going to help set up the fence, since he has a set of power tools he’s letting zim use, since ze lost zis.”
or
“Li is going to adopt a new puppy soon, as soon as li gets a fence set up around lias yard so the puppy can go outside without lia having to walk it. Lias uncle is going to help set up the fence, since he has a set of power tools he’s letting lia use, since li lost lias.”
A partial set of alternate first person pronouns are also used, with each instance of “I” replaced with “Dy”.
= = =
026 The Great Machine, Part 1: On the Road:
“Please state your name for the record.” the voice came from the intercom higher up the wall, sounding like this was a script they’d read many times.
“Uh, I’m Veyk.” Veyk said, not sure where xe was supposed to be looking. There was what xe’d assumed from a distance was a window in front of xim, but it was just a ledge sticking out of the wall. No glass or sliding panels. Xe decided that looking at the intercom was probably xis best bet.
If they had an intercom, and they knew xe was out here, they probably had cameras too. “Am I in the right place? I was looking for - -”
“Please state your full name for the record.” The voice sounded like this was something they had to say a lot too.
“Full name? I - -” Veyk stared up at the intercom, bewildered. “It’s just Veyk. I don’t know what you mean by full name.”
“Your full name would potentially include your family name, clan name, village name, or any other names that are used to identify you and to distinguish you from others with your personal name, including titles. If you’re from beyond Clade’s Edge - -”
“Yes!” Veyk interrupted, relieved to hear a familiar term, “I only just crossed the border a few days ago. I was told to go to Bricklayer, a crier that came to the territory promised me a job working on the Great Machine. He said he would send word ahead of me, so they’d know I was coming.”
Normally, xe would never travel so far just to find a paying job, but the crier had promised that the pay would be more than xe could ever dream of finding elsewhere, and food, lodging, and medical services would be supplied at no extra cost, to both the worker and any family members they brought with them.
Veyk had left Xaurec, Aryl, and Kanta back at the camp they’d slept at last night while xe went ahead to investigate the wall that cut through part of the valley, hoping they’d already reached their destination.
None of them had ever left the territory before, let alone gone as far as Bricklayer, but the crier had assured them that if they followed the eastern rode, they wouldn’t be able to miss it.
Well, they’d followed the road this far, and the wall here stuck out like a sore thumb. Surely, this had to be the - -
“If you’re trying to get to Bricklayer, you have to follow the road another fifty miles east. This is Brox, we aren’t part of the Coalition for the Great Machine. You can enter the city once we register you, and spend the night at open ports, but it won’t be free.”
Veyk hesitated. “Are kelwyn allowed in?” Xe finally asked, thinking xe already knew the answer, but hoping for a pleasant surprise. Most of the people within the clade didn’t hide the fact that they hated people from beyond the edge, and they especially hated kelwyn. The crier had promised that things weren’t like that in Bricklayer, but this wasn’t Bricklayer.
“Yes…”
Veyk heard a ‘but’ in there. It was obvious that while technically legal, kelwyn weren’t actually welcome.
And you know what? Xe didn’t even really want to stick around to find out the details.
“Well, I’ll just be going, then.” Xe said abruptly. Xe needed to get back to the others and let them know they’d be staying out on the road at least another two days. They had plenty of supplies, but they would have to make it to the next camping spot before nightfall, and xe’d already wasted time on this fruitless endeavor.
“I’ve heard that things are better in Bricklayer!” The voice called out as xe began to walk away, “Good luck!”
Veyk just rolled xis eyes, and began the jog back to the main road.
= = =
026: The Great Machine: Part 2: The First Night
“Hey guys, say hi to our new digger, Veyk! Xe just moved here from past Clade’s Edge, and xe came all this way just to work on the Great Machine with us, so I know you’ll all give xim a very warm welcome, isn’t that right, Lern?”
One of the people scattered around the fire in the middle of the camp threw their arms into the air and protested, “I didn’t even do anything yet!”
“Exactly!” Kvalic slashed a wing through the air for emphasis. “Keep it that way!”
Veyk wasn’t sure whether to be alarmed or amused. Kvalic hadn’t mentioned anything about a troublestarter on the walk over. Xe wasn’t sure how seriously xe was supposed to be taking this interaction. Did Lern actually do something wrong with past workers, or was this just some sort of inside joke?
“Uh, should I be worried?” Xe asked hesitantly, keeping xis voice low so only Kvalic could hear.
But instead of giving a serious answer like xe hoped, Kvalic just laughed loudly, and lightly slapped xis shoulder with a wing, cackling, “Only if you like fish!”
This caused a scattering of laughter from some of the other workers, except for Lern, who continued to protest their innocence in what sounded like genuine grievance.
Veyk was glad xe was wearing a mask to keep out the dust and night insects, because it meant xe didn’t have to keep the annoyed scowl off xis face.
If these people were going to be this annoying the whole time xe was working with them, xe had the feeling xe wouldn’t be working here long.
Kvalic abruptly turned and left without any further conversation or warning, apparently deciding that that was enough of an introduction that zis job here was done, leaving Veyk standing awkwardly at the edge of the circle, with no idea what to do next.
There were at least three different species of people here, none of whom were even the same species as Kvalic, and Veyk had no idea what kind of etiquette they would expect from xim.
Fortunately, one of them decided to take pity on xis clear confusion, and came over to greet xim properly, stepping over other people’s assorted legs and tails and lounging bodies to join xim at the edge of the circle while the rest of them went back to talking amongst themselves.
They were another quadruped, but unlike xim, they had two pairs of arms, not just one. Their legs were in the middle of their body, with the front pair hending backwards, and the back pair bending forwards, with a matching set of arms in front of and behind them.
From what xe could tell just by looking, they appeared to have hard, chitin like armour like an insect, instead of fur, feathers, scales, bark, or skin.
Most of their body was orange, with thick, lighter yellow stripes on the back of their thorax, and smaller light yellow spots on their abdomen. The top parts of their arms and legs were grey-brown, and their hands, lower legs, and feet were bright yellow, reflecting back the light of the fire whenever they moved. Their head sat at the front of their body on a short neck, and was shaped like an oval, with a single large, orange eye at the front, two depressions that might have been ears or a nose on the sides, and mandibles for a mouth.
“Hello,” They said, sitting down in front of xim and holding out both of their front hands in a familiar greeting. Xe copied them gratefully, sitting down in the tough grass and reaching forward with xis fronds.
Theirs were smaller than xis, with three appendages tipped with long, hard claws, in sharp contrast to xis six flexible tendrils. Since xis fronds were softer, xe placed xis on top of theirs, and they touched them together for a moment before pulling back.
Nothing exciting happened, which xe’d been expecting, but surprisingly, there was a slight tingle on the tips of xis tendrils, indicating that at least some sort of transference had happened, just not enough to tell anything by, at least on xis end.
“My name’s Veyk.” Xe said, not sure how much information they’d gotten out of that, “I’m phaen, and I go by xe, xim, xis, and ximself. What about you? I’m sorry, our chemicals aren’t compatible enough for me to have gotten any information.”
The quadruped opened their mandibles wide in what xe recognized easily as a friendly smile. “My name is Oleili Tevisi, and you can call me Oleili, it’s my personal name. I am liavnu, and I go by li, lia, lias, and liaself. It’s nice to meet you, Veyk. I’m sorry Kvalic seems to have abandoned you, ze does that with everyone. Ze seems to think that being dropped into a situation without help is the best way to learn, which is why it’s a very good thing ze isn’t in charge of anything except giving new hires the tour.”
“And just for the record!” A voice called out from the circle that Veyk recognized as Lern’s, “I’m not going to eat you, no matter what Kvalic else says! Ze’s just joking, and don’t know how to convey it!”
“No,” Another voice piped up, “Dy’m pretty sure at this point ze just refuses to learn.. Dy’ve been here since the start and Dy tried to teach zim when Dy first met zim, and no matter how many times Dy explain it to zim, ze never listens. Ze doesn’t want to learn, ze thinks we should all just be able to magically tell when ze’s joking and when ze’s being serious.”
Yeah, that fit with what Veyk had seen of Kvalic so far. Xe shook xis head in exasperation. “Doesn’t ze know how hard it is to read the tone and body language of an unfamiliar species?”
“Yes,” Oleili said, “But ze doesn’t care. Ze thinks its everyone else’s problem. There have been many complains to zis superiors, but no one ever does anything. We have a theory that ze’s a favorite sibling of one of the council members, but no one knows for sure.” Li stood, gesturing with lia head towards the crowded circle. “Enough about our annoying boss. Come sit with us, we can all properly introduce ourselves, and you can get something to eat. You get your first rations on the first full day you work, so you’ll get yours tomorrow, but we always pool ours, and there are plenty to go around.”
Li lead the way, and xe followed, grateful that the other workers were considerate enough this time to pull their legs and tails and other appendages out of the way so xe could walk past them without worrying about stepping on anyone.
They’d all arranged themselves in circles around the stove in the middle of the clearing, with smaller people close to the fire and larger people in the back, though it didn’t seem to be a universal rule. Some people were sitting on the dirt or grass itself, some were sitting on blankets, and a few had cushions.
Oleili led xim to an open space in the middle where li had been sitting on a dark green blanket, and someone threw a cushion so that it landed right in front of Veyk. Xe jumped in surprise, then called in the general direction it had come from, “Thanks!” right as another cushion flew through the air and slammed into xis face.
It was heavy enough to knock xim to the ground, and the shock of it left xim dazed for a few seconds, trying to figure out what had happened and why xis face and shoulder suddenly hurt.
The camp was suddenly humming with thunderous vibrations, but xe couldn’t figure out what anyone was saying past the dull throb in the side of xis head where it had hit the dirt.
Xe pushed ximself upright, lifting a frond to xis face to make sure xe wasn’t bleeding, and found ximself staring into Oleili’s single large eye, wide with concern, less than a few inches from xis face. Xe jerked back instinctively, and felt the fragile metal of xis hearing-aid dislodge even further.
Oleili backed up a bit to give xim more space, and lia mandibles opened and closed, but xe couldn’t make sense of it. Li didn’t have lips for xim to read, and even if li did, xe didn’t speak the language, and without xis hearing-aid and translator, xe couldn’t hear or understand what anyone was trying to say.
Xe guessed that li was asking if xe was okay, and lifted both xis fronds to reassure li, and did xis best to say clearly, “I’m okay, my hearing-aid just got knocked loose, I can’t understand you, I have to fix it first.” Xe could feel it inside xis ear, the two main pieces knocked out of the base. They were all connected with tiny wires that were rooted in xis skull, so there wasn’t any danger of them falling out of xis ear entirely, but xe had to fix them before xe would be able to hear or understand anyone that didn’t speak the sign-language xe'd grown up with.
Most of the other workers had gotten to their feet and gathered around Veyk, as well as another person further back in the crowd that xe couldn’t see past the gathered people, probably the person who’d thrown the second cushion. Veyk was giving them the benefit of the doubt and assuming that hitting xim in the face had been an accident.
Oleili was trying to talk to xim again, moving lia mandibles and gesturing with lia hands in a way that meant nothing that xe could understand.
But there should be nothing stopping lia from understanding or hearing xim, so xe said again, enunciating as best xe could when xe couldn’t hear the sounds xe was making, “I’m not hurt, but my hearing-aid was knocked loose, and I have to get my friend to fix it for me. Can you show me the way back to the main entrance? They’re not a worker, they're just visiting, so they’re camped outside. I’ll know my way from there, I just don’t remember how to get back to the entrance. Can you show me?”
Trying to speak out loud when xe couldn’t hear what xe was saying was always hit or miss. Xe couldn’t tell if xe was speaking too loudly, or not loudly enough.
Oleili seemed confused, but after a moment li deliberately nodded lia head, then glanced over lia shoulder to say something to the rest of the crowd.
Then li turned back to Veyk and gestured for xim to turn around, so xe did so, heading back towards the spot where Kvalic had left xim at the entrance to the clearing as the crowd parted to let xim pass without issue, many of them looking concerned.
Xe resisted the urge to sigh as Oleili moved past xim to lead xim down the correct path. The annoyance wasn’t directed at lia though.
This was a frequent issue with xis hearing-aid, and finding a solution was one of the reasons xe’d decided to come all this way to Bricklayer and work on the Great Machine.
The the main reason was that the surgeons in Bricklayer were probably the only people within a year’s journey that could perform the surgeries that Aryl and Xaurec needed. Veyk had gotten xis years and years ago, before the town surgeon had passed away.
The other reason was that Kanta was looking for mates for the first time, and wanted the good luck that came with pairing with people who lived far away. Especially if xe could convince some of them to return with them when they went back to their territory, and bring their luck with them.
Hopefully some of that luck would rub off on Veyk so that xe could find someone besides Xaurec who could fix xis hearing-aid for xim. Or so that xe would be able to find someone who could permanently stabilize it sooner rather than later. Or maybe just someone who was smart enough to build an entirely new one from scratch.
The scientist who had created it for xim had disappeared just as abruptly as he had appeared, dashing all over the territory with his companion like a kaliba that had broken into the stores of fermenting fruit. Veyk didn’t even know his name, he’d just called himself a doctor without elaborating further. Veyk didn’t know where he was from, who he was related to, or where xe could find him again.
Maybe he would be here, working on the Great Machine, but he had disappeared so quickly that Veyk wasn’t going to get xis hopes up. Maybe xe would never see him again, and would just have to hope that xe could find someone else who knew how to work the hearing-aid enough to fix it.
It obviously hadn’t been designed for twoqi use, unless whoever had designed it had wanted it to be so obnoxious and inconvenient that at times Veyk was tempted to rip it out and throw it into the creek.
And oh, how convenient. There was a creek that ran parallel to the path Oleili was leading xim down now, lia orange markings seeming to glow in the darkness. Xe could rip the darn thing out of xis ear and chuck it in to be swept away if xe wanted to.
But…xe wasn’t quite that annoyed with it just yet.
Xaurec could fix it for xim tonight, and tomorrow... well, tomorrow was xis first day of labor, so xe would have to wait and see what exactly that entailed before making any final decisions.
Until then, xe followed Oleili into the deepening night, hoping things would be better in the morning.
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smallraindrops-blog · 3 years ago
Text
To Have And To Hold
Hypnos x female!reader
Word count: 2k
Part One
Warning:War, dead people and children, Ares ( let be real, that guy is a warning all on his own) kissing and sexual themes, no beta
The shade that came in the library was polite but clearly overwhelmed from their work. They handed over the letter quickly and gave a bow before hurrying out.
You pushed aside your own paperwork, "Lady Athena?" You asked out loud to no one but yourself. You typically only get letters from your sisters or parents.
You carefully opened it, a sense of dread unfolded in your chest.
'Dear Y/N.
I wish I was writing to you in better times. Unfortunately, I must keep this letter short. I'm in need of your help, desperately.
I can explain more when I see you. When you reach the surface, call for me.
Athena'
You ran out the library, uncaring about leaving scrolls on the tables.
You made it to the East wing and you glanced to Achilles, only to see empty space. You paused for a second then you heard it, crying and countless voices together begging and yelling.
What in the world...
"Silent!" Hades boomed and a harsh bark followed. The house quieted down, only soft sobs remained.
You walked in slowly and couldn't stop the gasp. You had never seen so many shades all in one place and you even saw some standing in the Styx.
You saw Achilles in front of Hades' desk, facing the crowd. His normally kind face was cold and his grip on the spear was tight.
Hades stood up, "Silent." He repeated. Queen Persephone and Zagreus stood next to Hades, both their faces unable to hide the worries they felt.
"Thanatos, please continue."
"Lord Ares has gone mad with war lust. Hermes nor I can keep up with the amount of dead. And as I speak, Ares and Eris are tearing through another city." Thanatos' tone was hard and flat.
You swallowed, unable to believe what you were hearing.
"What has Zeus done to step in?" Hades asked warily.
"He has yet to do so, lord Hades." Thanatos replied.
Hades opened his mouth but a shade broke past the group. "Please, you have to help us! They will follow us even in death, it won't ever stop!"
"Didn't I tell you to be silent!? And Ares can't come here, no matter how hard he tries."
The shade shook their head, "No, not him-" the other shades joined, all begging and more crying started.
"Be quiet, all of you!"
Zagreus spoke up, "Wait, we should hear them out, Father."
"No. We have bigger problems." Hades rubbed his forehead."Thanatos, give this letter to Hermes. The sooner we can put Ares and his friend down the better."
There was a moment of silence after Thanatos vanished.
You took a shaky breath, and looked around to find Hypnos. You heard him speak in his cheerful voice before you saw him, "Well, alrighty. That sure was something, huh? Line up! Come on everyone, and mind the little ones."
He wasn't in his usual spot but a little past Hades' desk along with Dusa and several workers shades. You walked over, "Hypnos."
He looked up at your voice, his eyes widened in alarm. He dropped the quill and paper he was holding. "How much of that did you see?" He whispered.
"Enough." You whispered back. "I got a letter from Athena, they need my help."
"What?" He asked in a strangled whisper. You showed him the letter. He read the letter once, his face blank.
You waited for a response, frowning at his unreadable face.
Then he folded up the letter calmly as he met your gaze, "No. Absolutely not. I will not allow you to go." He said softly.
"Hypnos!" You replied, no longer staying quiet. "You have no right to tell me what to do." You reached for the letter but he held it out of reach.
"Blood and Darkness." Hades cursed. "We do not need your marital disputes in the great hall especially now. Leave."
You flushed, realizing you could feel eyes on you. Hypnos grabbed your arm gently, "Oh of course, Lord Hades. Don't worry, I will be back shortly after I handle this." Hypnos said pleasantly, " What was the saying? Happy wife, happy life? But hey why am I telling you? You know all about that."
Hades glared down at the both of you and you desperately wished for a hole to swallow you whole.
Before you could apologize for Hypnos' lack of tact, he vanished you along with him.
You looked around, trying to push away the nausea. Thankfully he had chosen to reappear just outside of your bedchambers.
You turned on him, "For blood's sake what was that about Hypnos?"
"Can we talk in your chambers? Or the library, whichever one you want." He asked, sounding guilty.
Good, you thought viciously.
"Oh so I do get a say in something then? Or will you be 'handling' that too?" You snapped at him. You pushed out your door, not bothering to invite Hypnos in. You stood in the middle of the room, arms crossed.
Hypnos closed the door behind him quietly. "I'm sorry but Lady Athena will have to do without your help if it means you have to go to the surface. I cannot let you go up there."
"That is my decision, not yours." You shook your head. "I have to go."
"Didn't you hear how Ares has gone mad? That guy is crazy on a good day, let alone whatever is happening now." Even with the guilty look on his face, Hypnos shook his head. "You have never even seen a war, have you? It's not a pretty sight."
"We don't even know what she needs help with, I doubt I will be anywhere near a battlefield. She knows I'm not a warrior."
"The fact you have to even be on the surface is too much." Hypnos floated over to you but didn't touch you, his hands spread out. "War isn't predictable. One person's decision can cost other people's their lives, well beyond the battlefields. And it never ever ends up the way leaders plan for it to."
You stayed quiet, looking down at the ground. You couldn't get your mind off the letter even with Hypnos’ reasoning. Athena wouldn't ask for anything unless she truly needed it.
"Y/N, please look at me." Hypnos lifted your chin up, your eyes flicked toward his before you made yourself look away.
"I would give you anything if it made you happy, you know that." Hypnos spoke carefully. "You can help Lady Athena, I'm not saying you can't but you need to do it from here. There is no point in risking your safety."
Hypnos waited for you to respond only to sigh when you shook your head, too upset to speak.
"Send a letter to Athena, and I will help out too, love. Okay?" Hypnos' eyes studied your face.
"Can't you just come with me?" You asked, hating how your voice cracked at the end. "If you're so worried."
"No, I am needed here and I'm doubtful I would be a welcomed face." Hypnos gave a slight grin, "Besides, I already won the last war when I got you as my wife."
he looked at you so softly, it made you blush. You pulled away, you will not let Hypnos sweet talk you. “Oh, yes. Just remind me of another time I was mad at you. That will work out for you.”
“I-i just-“ Hypnos chuckled but he was clearly unamused. “Obviously I have a case of foot in mouth. Y/N, I just want you to be safe. Am I wrong to want my wife to be safe?”
You glared at him, “Well obviously not, Hypnos. Don’t play that game with me.”
Hypnos glared back, both of you silently glaring at each other. Hypnos broke first and rubbed his eyes with a frustrated sigh. You resisted the urge to walk over and smooth away the weight you could see on him.
When Hypnos looked back at you, you didn’t expect the serious look in his face, “Just promise me something.”
“What?” You watched him warily, not used to this reaction from him.
“You won’t try to leave without me. If- and that is a very big if by the way, we have to go up to help whoever, you won’t go where I can’t keep an eye on you.” Hypnos said, his golden eyes stayed on your face.
“I’m not a child, Hypnos.” You muttered.
“I know that. But you have never been in a war and I have and I know how ugly it gets. I hope I am overreacting, really I am.” Hypnos came closer again, “Just promise me. Please.”
“I-i but.. Fine. Okay, I promise.” You said. You glanced at Hypnos and upon seeing the relief on his face, you turned away, guilt
“Just… give me some alone time, okay?” You said, unable to hide how upset you were.
He was quiet for a few minutes. “Alright. I will have tonight’s dinner sent for you. I will check in on you later, okay?”
“Okay.” You agreed, staring at the wall. "Thank you."
Hypnos looked at you a moment, a hand reached up for a second before falling back down, before he left.
You pushed down the guilt you felt, Hypnos was the one in the wrong for not helping you.
You paced around the room, biting your lip nervously as you tried to think.
You couldn't take the path Zagreus does, and you weren't sure if he would or could help you. You didn't have a boat and from the looks of it Charon wouldn't have space anyway.
And Cerberus was…
You groaned and covered your face.
You were efficiently trapped, the realization caused the fading anger at Hypnos to come roaring back.
You sat down on the bed when a knock came. "Y/N? C-can I come in?" Dusa's voice was normally a welcomed thing but right now you don't think you can stomach being around others.
But it wasn't Dusa' fault you told yourself.
You opened the door and she floated in. "Are you okay? I kinda saw what happened in the hall."
You shook your head and explained everything. You reached for the letter only to remember that Hypnos still had it. "Blood and darkness Hypnos." you muttered. You couldn't believe he was treating you like a child.
Dusa was quiet for a few moments. "Well actually, I might know a way. It is the same way Queen Persephone took to return here. She doesn't have to travel the same way everyone else does."
Hope lifted in your chest. "Do you know if Cerberus would be there?"
"Far as I know, he wouldn't be near there since Queen Persephone is here." Dusa frowned with worry, "But you know how dangerous it is, right? Meg told me stories about the last war and the kind of people she had to punish for their acts during it."
"I have to go. My family could be at risk. Can you cover for me? Just a little bit."
Dusa stared at you. "Just promise me you will be careful okay? And if anyone asks, even Hypnos, I won't lie okay?"
You hugged her. "Thank you!"
"Just please be careful." Dusa muttered.
~~
The snow was still there, unmarked and soft. You took a breath, the sharp, freezing air hurt your lungs but it felt amazing.
You weren’t sure if the hallway Queen Persephone took would work for you but thankfully it had just been an unusually long and winding hallway.
When you got back, you were planning on telling Zegreus about it. Let's see Hades do anything about that.
You watched the snowfall, gentle and pure, with a sigh. You tugged your travel cloak tighter, the last time you wore this was during your wedding.
It wasn't the same place you and Hypnos had gotten married. But seeing the snow brought memories. Of the fear, of how you almost stumbled over your vows, how Hypnos' hand holding yours was the only warm thing you could feel. Of the nervous yet serious look on his face when you both said the final vow…
You shook your head, finding your resolve. You glanced back at the opening, guilt rising in you.
And hurt.
You thought Hypnos would understand, it was your family. He was normally so big on family, bending over backward for his own family. You thought he would support you. You swallow and with one last look back, you step out into the snow.
It took you a moment but with the deepest breath you could take, you called for Athena.
Almost immediately, a warm golden light filled the field.
Athena was just tall and golden as you remembered. She didn't smile but she took your hands in her own, "Thank you. I must admit I was worried you wouldn't come."
You decided not to mention your disagreement with Hypnos as you tried to give a comforting smile.
"Of course, I am more than happy to help. But I am a bit lost on what I could offer for you." You watched her sighed and moved away.
"What I am about to ask of you is no small favor. If you wish to have no part of this, I will understand." Athena said gravely.
You nodded. "Let me decide."
After she studied your face for a moment, Athena spoke.
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sassyhobbits · 4 years ago
Note
Could you please write post Kingdom of Ash fic where Aelin has to go back to Doranelle with Rowan on important business or something and she deals with her trauma going back/ meets Rowans family/ Rowan repairs his relationship with his cousins? Pretty please 🥺
loved this idea and had so much fun writing it!! combined with the modified prompt of “living is so much harder than dying. are you sure youre fit for living?”
here’s day 5 everyone!!
~~~
It had been three years since Aelin Galathynius had stepped foot in the City of Rivers.
Her first two visits to Doranelle had been… less than pleasant, to say the least. Most sane people who had gone through what Aelin had would never get within a hundred miles of the city. But, Aelin had never been one to allow a shitty experience or two keep her away.
In the three years since the end of the war, Terrasen had slowly been rebuilt. Aelin had gotten used to her role as queen, had gotten used to peace. Although it had been hard and strenuous work, it was worth it. Every struggle and late night, argument with lords and advisors, had led to happiness for her people. Aelin would do just about anything for them.
Part of being queen, Aelin had quickly learned, was responding to correspondences from other kingdoms. Sometimes, they weren’t all that bad. She liked to write to Dorian, enjoyed the sporadic letters she received from Manon. But there were plenty of others that were less fun. Taxes, proposals, budgeting.
But, a few weeks ago, she received a letter from Rowan’s cousin, Sellene, the new Queen of Doranelle. She invited both Aelin and her husband for a diplomatic visit to her lands.
“Are you sure about this, Fireheart?” Rowan had murmured to her one night, curled up in his arms in bed. “You don’t have to go.”
Aelin understood his concern. The last time she had been to Doranelle, she had been beaten and bruised within an inch of her life, patched back together, only to go through the process again the next day. Maeve had certainly done a number on her. But Aelin would be damned if she let the bitch get the last laugh.
“I want to go, Ro,” Aelin assured him. “I want to see where you grew up, get to know your family better.”
I need to go, is what she didn’t have to say, but knew Rowan understood. Aelin had conquered many of her fears in the years since the war, but there were still nights she woke up screaming, still nights when it was impossible to tell the difference between the darkness of night and the darkness of the iron coffin.
She needed to go back to the place where she had been brought down to her lowest. Needed to prove that she was strong, and that she had triumphed.
And so it was decided. The queen and king consort would sail east.
They stayed a week in Wendlyn with Aelin’s cousin, Galan. Since he had sailed to her aid during the war, they had formed a closer friendship. It was good to see him, to see the kingdom from which her mother hailed.
From there, they traveled by carriage to Doranelle.
“Much nicer than the first time we made this journey,” Aelin remarked one afternoon from the comfort of their carriage, resting her head against Rowan’s shoulder.
“You certainly smell better.”
Rowan earned himself a slug on the shoulder for that little comment.
They passed into the City of Rivers discreetly, not truly wanting to deal with a huge welcoming party. Aelin convinced Rowan to take a day to themselves, for her husband to show her the city itself. The beautiful, simple lives of the citizens of Doranelle. How Rowan had grown up.
It was a perfect day. Aelin loved seeing Doranelle in all its glory. It was truly a work of art, unlike anything she had ever witnessed in her years traipsing the continent. They wore hoods despite the mild, spring weather, the both of them far too recognizable now to move freely without some sort of disguise. It brought her back to the days of being Adarlan’s Assassin.
Rowan brought her to some of his favorite places growing up, showed her a block that sold the traditional street foods of Doranelle for lunch. He bought her some sweets and took her to a lovely park, where they lounged under the shade, just talking and sharing kisses. He took her to a nice restaurant for dinner, snagging a private back room for just the two of them. It was all perfect.
And then the next day, they woke and readied themselves to head to the palace. Aelin managed to wrangle her husband into something nice, though he protested it on the basis of it just being his cousins. She wouldn’t hear of it.
That first day in Doranelle, exploring the streets as nothing more than another citizen, Aelin had been nothing but content and relaxed… but the first sight of that wide, curving bridge that would lead them to the palace had her heart beating just a little bit faster.
She remembered the last time she had crossed this bridge beside Rowan. She had still been going by Celaena then, freshly nineteen, just stepping into her power and her status. Terrified, though she never would have admitted it then. She had already been falling in love with Rowan, and her newly healed heart certainly wouldn’t have survived losing him.
She knew Rowan noticed the small change in her demeanor, feeling him squeeze her hand comfortingly.
They were greeted by Sellene, who was just as elegant and beautiful as Aelin remembered. It was clear she had stepped into her role as ruler with dignity and grace. She embraced Aelin like she was an old friend, making her feel truly welcome.
They were shown to their rooms, given time to settle in and refresh themselves before they would meet in court before dinner.
Their quarters were lovely: bright, open, and airy. The glassless windows allowed for the sweet spring breeze to blow into their room. There was a large bath that Aelin had full intentions of making use of that evening. Hopefully with Rowan. He wouldn’t need much convincing.
Some of Sellene’s ladies came in to help Aelin prepare, making sure her hair was thoroughly brushed and gleaming, twisted up in perfection before placing her crown on top. Her gown was a lovely piece of Terrasen green and intricate silver embroidery.
By the time they were both ready, they made quite a pair. Striking, indeed. Aelin made sure she complimented her husband thoroughly as they made the short trip from their chambers to the throne room.
It managed to distract both Rowan and herself. She barely took in the halls they walked through, some of it twinging deep recesses in her memory, like some sort of dream. But, she forced herself to focus on Rowan, the man she loved, lest the memories get the better of her.
The next thing she knew, they were being announced as they strolled leisurely through the crowded throne room. Fae nobility bowed and curtsied as they walked by, sending them wide, broad grins.
The throne room was so different than Aelin had remembered it. When it had been Maeve perched on that throne, it had been cold and quiet. It had somehow always felt like a trap. But, with Sellene as queen, it was bright and full of life. Music played, people laughed and smiled. It was… good.
A half hour passed by busily. Aelin was introduced to some of Sellene’s courtiers, reintroduced to Rowan’s other cousins. People gave her their thanks, commended her hard work and sacrifice during the war.
It was hectic enough at the beginning to keep her mind thoroughly occupied. Chatting and charming and laughing. It took a while before there was a lull in the conversation, when Aelin wasn’t listening to someone or speaking herself. But, it finally came.
Aelin took the rare moment of solitude to take in her surroundings. Rowan was across the room, talking with his uncle and cousin, Enda. He looked happy, relaxed. She loved it when he smiled.
She looked away from her husband, glancing around the room. Despite her better judgements, her gaze snagged on that throne.  It almost looked non-threatening in the late afternoon sunlight, but her gut still twisted. Images of a pale woman with dark hair and a spider’s smile flashed to her mind unwillingly. She flinched, eyes screwing shut and willing the memories of Maeve away. She was successful at first, but not for long. Images and snippets of voices, of screams that she didn’t know came from herself or others, assaulted her all at once.
Aelin’s breathing sped up, her heart hammering beneath her ribs. She felt the phantom bite of broken glass in her knees, heard Maeve’s cruel laughs. She saw Fenrys, heard his cry when Connall spilled his own blood right there by the throne. It was so clean now. Like none of it had ever happened.
But no. That had been real. The other images Maeve had sent her weren’t but…
Suddenly, the airy throne room was too small, too packed. Aelin felt ill. She ducked her head down, slipping out as discreetly as she could manage. The moment she was sure she was out of view, she bunched up her skirts and ran.
Her body remembered the way down into the depths of the palace, though she had never navigated herself. It had left a mark on her soul. She would never forget.
The dungeons below the palace were a stark difference from the open, bright architecture above. It could have been a different world. It was just as dark and cold as Aelin remembered, as it was in her nightmares.
She wasn’t sure how, exactly, she knew which of the near identical, dismal cells had been hers but… she knew. She hesitated outside the door, amazed by just how ordinary it looked. Who would have guessed that she had been held and tortured behind that door for two months?
Aelin pressed her palm against the door, the magic left in her recoiling at the iron she sensed. These dungeons had been built to keep people with magic contained. They had been well designed.
She pushed into the room slowly, using her magic to light the torches lining the walls. She wasn’t sure what she had been expecting to find: a coffin, blood stains, iron chains waiting just for her. But… it was empty. Even the stone table she had been chained to while Cairn carved her up was gone.
Just… nothing.
Aelin wasn’t sure how long she stood there before she sensed a familiar presence behind her. She was wrapped in the familiar scent of pine and snow, Rowan’s warm body standing just behind her. He placed a broad hand on her shoulder. “I thought I’d find you here.”
A tiny smile curved her lips, though she didn’t bother looking back at her mate. “You know me well, husband.”
There were a few beats of silence. Aelin didn't have to be looking at Rowan to know he was carefully considering his next words. So, she did him a favor, and spoke first.
“There’s nothing here,” Aelin said simply, stating the obvious.
“No, there isn’t. Is that a bad thing?”
A tiny shrug. “I don’t know. Yes? No?” Aelin hung her head in defeat, covering Rowan’s hand with her own. “Sometimes, it's hard to believe it all really happened. Without the scars, without the coffin… it just seems like something I dreamed up. I know I didn’t but…”
“But what, Fireheart?”
Her eyes burned with tears, throat tightening. “It would be… comforting, I suppose, to know that the experience left its mark somewhere else than in my head. It was terrifying and hopeless but I don’t want to forget it happened.”
Rowan stepped closer, her back pressed against his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around her securely, pressing a kiss to the back of her head. “I think you know that what happened doesn't only still affect you. I don’t think Lorcan will ever fully forgive himself for summoning Maeve to the beach that day, I don’t think Aedion will ever stop feeling guilty that he hadn’t been there for you when you needed him. And I…”
He trailed off, but Aelin knew Rowan better than she knew herself. She knew his fears, his regrets, his insecurities. Just as Aelin awoke some nights thinking she was back in that coffin, Rowan would wake thinking she was gone. Those nights, he would wrap her tightly in his arms and wouldn’t let go until the sunrise, as if she’d disappear with the morning dew.
She gave a meek nod. “You’re right.”
They stood in silence for a bit longer, stealing strength from one another. After a period of silence, Aelin spoke again.
“I thought it’d be easier by now,” she commented. “I spent most of my life struggling to survive, trying not to die in one way or another. It’s been three years of peace. I know three years is nothing to you and will eventually be nothing to me too but… when does life get easier?”
Rowan didn’t answer right away. “Living, Aelin, is so much harder than dying.”
She sighed and nodded. “You’re right. But when have I ever not stepped up to a challenge?” She looked up at Rowan and smiled cockily. He gave a breathy laugh and pressed a kiss to her temple.
“You’ve already conquered death, Aelin Galathynius,” he said. “I have no doubts you’ll conquer life just as easily.”
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mizelophsun11 · 4 years ago
Text
Mizeloph's Tale Chapter 8
Pairing - It is still General Kirigan x OC Sun Summoner and will eventually shift to Kaz Brekker x Reader
Summary - First the little group from Ketterdam has to make it through the Fold before they can get to Eastern Ravka. As they travel through the Fold a past that Kaz does not like to talk about haunts his thoughts. A promise that he never intended on breaking brings more to Kaz than he cared to admit.
Word Count - 2550
-
“They want you to believe the Sun Summoner has been found to finally tear down the wall that divides us. But how many times have we been fed a story like that?! And how many times have we in the West been told to send our sons and daughters through the Fold for another year? It is time to accept that we need to break away from the old country! Now is the time to form our own country, to keep what we make and what we earn instead of sending it to the East! For the true Ravka!” Zlatan finished his speech and walked off towards the entrance of his tent where he shook hands with Arken who had an interesting proposition
Out in the open Kaz Brekker watched their exchange, he had not been too thrilled about this, but knew that they needed Arken to get them across the Fold. He would be able to come up with a plan to deal with Arken later. Kaz spotted Inej looking at the stones with names of people from the West who had gone through the Fold and died or never come back.
Inej noticed Kaz walk up to her with the tiny goat “he’s adorable”
“Don’t get too attached” he looked between her and the stones “I didn’t think I’d have to specify no detours for you”
“Even if just a few minutes could end a lifetime of questions?” Inej asked
Kaz sighed “I have looked at these stones for answers, when I couldn’t find her name these stones felt useless, just another reminder of an unknown”
“Maybe because she was able to survive the Fold, she is now the Sun Summoner, you cannot continue to deny it forever, there is hope you two will see each other again” Inej knew that they both were trying to find a name to have some closure, but it was not always that easy
“Hope is dangerous, it can cloud anyones judgement, including our own. Just like your mind has been clouded by your questions of my past with Anna Mizeloph, I told you I wanted your complete focus on this job” Kaz said adjusting the goat he was holding in his arm
“I will, this will be the last time I promise” Inej could tell that she was pushing on Kaz berries with talking about Anna
“Don’t forget Inej, we all have debts to pay” Kaz walked off to meet head towards the meeting point with Inej walking behind him
Once it got darker everyone had met at the disclosed location near the edge of town so they could start their journey, but there was one person missing, Jesper. They still made their way towards where the train would be when Inej stopped to read the sign.
“Wait, there are landmines here..” Inej said looking to Arken
“I put those signs up there to keep people away” Akren informed them
Kaz looked behind “where the hell is Jesper?” he did not want to be delayed
They walked over to where the machinery was hidden that would get them through the Fold “It’s one thing to hear about it, but.. This is..” Inej looked at the looming darkness as they got closer
“Nothing compared to what lies within” Arken went through the thick shadow and pulled the train out “there, so the goat, jurad.. Thank you. Now we are just waiting on the coal..”
“Wait for me!” Jesper yelled as he ran, followed by gunshots
Arken began to panic as he saw Jesper running towards their location with people following behind “they can’t see the train!”
“Leave the lantern!” Inej yelled
“Landmines!” Jesper looked at the sign
“Come on!” Kaz knew it was going to be close
Jesper tossed the lantern onto the ground and ran to the train in the dark making sure to watch his step. Once he got in he felt a slight sigh of relief wash over him, he had gotten coal and not been blown up.
“Please tell me you have 20 pounds of alabaster coal” Arken pleaded
Jesper gave him the bag “slight snap in the plan, turns out the kid who was helping me buy the coal didn’t exactly know how to, um, buy coal”
“We know you gambled it away” Kaz knew Jesper too well
“I lost a bit of the money.. Well, I lost all of the money, but! I was able to steal 20 pounds of alabaster coal” Jesper smiled a little
“No no.. there’s only 16 pounds” Arken was slightly panicking
Jespers smile faltered “16 pounds of alabaster coal”
“Can we do it on 16?” Kaz asked
“Never been done before, now I need you three to sit down and never shift your weight” Arken started to set everything up to get the train to start moving, then they suddenly heard the sound of an explosion and men screaming
Jesper shook a little “Landmines..”
Kaz looked up a Arken from his spot “I thought you said they weren’t real”
“I said no such thing, I just said I put the sign up” Arken began to put coal in and the train started, they entered the Fold.
It was quiet in the train so far, everyone was thinking about anything else than being inside the Fold. As the train chugged on Kaz knew that right now he should be thinking about what they will do to get into the Little Palace, but his thoughts drifted to Anna Mizeloph. He knew better, but Kaz could not help it, the little girl with white hair that he remembered was now the Sun Summoner. He remembered when they were younger, imagining their lives and how everything would work out.
-
Little 8 year old Kaz and Anna were holding hands as they ran down an alley holding a few items of food. Once they got to their safe spot they sat down and started to nibble at the food, Anna looked over at Kaz.
“What do you think our lives will be like once we are older Kazie?” Anna asked
“Honestly, I’m not sure, I want to get back at Pekka for putting me and Jordie in our current situation” Kaz was angry, he and his brother had the chance to start a new life when their father had died, they should not be in this situation
“But you met me.. You mean a lot to me Kazie” Anna said looking at the small amount of food she had left, this was all she knew, living on the streets
Kaz sighed “the future also involves me and Jordie becoming rich and you will be a part of that Anna, we will stick together” he smiled a little at her and pulled Anna close
“Good” she rested her head on his shoulder “but if you become rich can we travel the world? Maybe see Ravka? I’ve only heard of it from others travelers, but it sounds beautiful”
“Anything you want Anna” Kaz adjusted Anna and began to run his fingers through her hair to try and get a few tangles out “when we are older you will get whatever you want, I promise”
Anna smiled and closed her eyes feeling Kaz run his fingers through her hair. While she hated that Kaz and Jordie were cheated out of their money to survive, Anna was thanking every saint that she had known for meeting Kaz. She felt beyond lucky to have a best friend like Kaz and wished that they had met under different circumstances.
“Hey Kazie?” Anna said softly
“Yes Anna?” He continued to run his fingers through her hair now for comfort
“Can you make me another promise? This one is more important..” Anna could not imagine her future without Kaz
“Anything you want Anna” Kaz smiled a little finishing his combe through of her hair and pulled her close into a hug
“Promise me that we will never be separated, that we will grow up together and never leave each other, please promise me this” she pleased
“Yes, I promise” Kaz said, not knowing what the future held and that in a year he would break that promise. However, he didn’t know that, so with his ignorant bliss he made the promise
“Can we pinkie promise?” Anna asked looking at Kaz
Kaz smiled and nodded holding his pinky out “I promise”
Anna held her hand out and linked their pinkles “I promise” she continued to stay close to Kaz as he kissed the top of her head, their promise.
-
Kaz thought about that promise more than he would like to admit, he was the first one to break it. Even though it wasn’t really his choice because the people who collected him and his brother thought they were dead. However, that was still the moment of separation and Kaz wished that things could have been different. Anna was and still is an important girl to him and it made him think about what would happen when they were finally face to face. It would eventually happen since Anna is the key to the million kruge mission. Kaz wondered if she would recognize him or not, if she did how would she react? There was a lot running through his mind about Anna that was suddenly jossled when the train jerked.
With the sudden motion of the train came a strange noise snapping Kaz out of his thoughts “what was that?”
“Bits of metal hun on the poles, when they collide with the one on the train it markes where we are in our journey, right now we are on time” Arken said while looking at his watch
“How did you know where to put the poles?” Kaz asked
“Physics and engineering are a part of.. Most of my success” Akren continued to focus on his watch, he would glance at the coal then back at his watch
“And the rest?” Kaz glanced up at Arken
“What we might call divine intervention” Akren checked the coal against
“What other might call luck” Kaz never enjoyed relying on luck in anything
“And after all, the Fold is thick with volcra, and the tracks are not complete. Coal please” Arken said, Kaz threw some coal in
“I’m sorry, did you say the tracks weren’t complete?” Jesper asked starting to feel a little bit nervous and began to move
“Ah, ah! No moving” Arken said “it seems like we are falling behind, by my calculations we are now a tad late, more coal” Kaz put some more coal into the flames, fueling the train to continue going
“Back to the real issue, we are on tracks that don’t connect to other tracks” the amount of panic in Jesper was beginning to rise
“There is a gap, but..” Arken was going to continue but Kaz cut him off
“You said you could get us through, how much of a gap?” Kaz asked
Arken sighed, continuing to watch the coal and the watch to see if they could get back to being on time. “I built slats on the car, they roll into place under the wheels and the turbine generated enough wind to push all the way to the eastern tracks. This only works if we did not shift our weight, now we are about to go past a nest, the noise may attract volcra but it is the only way across”
As they continued through the sound of growling volcra echoed “now we have a problem, but we should be fine if they haven’t attacked us by..” the flapping wings of volcra got closer
Kaz looked at how Arken reacted “if need be how do you fight them off?”
“There is no way to fight them off, I can only outrun them to give a fighting chance. Open the throttle and toss all of the coal in, if we had 20 pounds this would work” as the coal was tossed in the train was gossled, Arken looked out to see what had happened “Damn! One of them impaid itself onto a spike”
The blood from the Volcra seeped through the ceiling and into the train “we need to get it off or else the other will stand on it” Kaz said
“More coal!” Arken commanded
Kaz threw the rest of the coal in and the bag it came in “we are down on fumes!”
Everything was beginning to unfold against them, they were behind, volcra were now attacking their only means of transportation through the Fold. A true nightmare, it almost had seemed too good to be true in the beginning when everything was running smoothly. Kaz could tell that they would be cutting it close, if they could even make it through.
Arken nodded “we won’t make it with this extra weight” he continued to try and get the dead volcra off the spike
“This is how we die” Jesper said
“Jesper grab the goat” Arken looked down at his watch to see if they were any close to the other side of the Fold
“I’m not throwing out the goat!” Jesper yelled
“Damit it Jesper, grab the damn goat! It’s not bait, it is for you now I need you to calm down and hug the goat!” Arken yelled back at Jesper
The sound of metal meeting metal rattled through the train “no no.. we should have hit that mark 20 seconds ago”
This caught Kaz's attention “20 seconds? Meaning..”
“My timing is precise in order to get us through, even 20 seconds behind means the train could stop inside the Fold which means.. Death for all of us” Akren looked down at the flames keeping the train going, but his attention was pulled away by the sound of volcra “there are more coming.. You may want to make your peace..”
Kaz never hoped for anything, until now he was hoping to make it through the Fold to see Anna. He had never been afraid of death, every mission in Ketterdam was a risk. However, this was different, he could die right here and never see Anna again. Within his thoughts he realised that there was so much more to this mission. Once her name left that man's lips the night of the job, that night he knew that this would be his chance to see her again. He needed to stay alive in order to see her and that would not be possible if he died in the Fold.
Arken looked up as the contraption that had taken him across the Fold too many times to count, it was now being torn apart by a few volcra. Jesper knew what he had to do, he had the guns, with his skills in hand he approached where the volcra were tearing through the top. The monsters screamed and with collection Jesper began to fire off shots at the swarming volcra killing all of them. It was a moment of silence before another metal ping rang, the sun shone through the hole made by the dead volcra. A sigh of relief left everyone in the train, they had made it through the Fold, alive. Now they had to figure out what the next plan was in order to get them into the Little Palace and get Anna Mizeloph.
-
Author Note - I am so sorry this chapter came later than I had hoped! These seem to only get longer and longer XD However I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! I originally did not plan on adding this chapter, but I thought it would be good to see more of Kaz and the past he has with Anna Mizeloph. Like always feel free to pm me if you would like to or leave a comment, I love reading what everyone has to say!
Tag List- @rika90 @itsemy01 @hotleaf-juice @teatimeforusreaders @benbarnes-supremacy @graciefullygracie @aleksanderwh0r3 @klaudosh @herbatkazmilosica
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gumnut-logic · 4 years ago
Text
Callisto (Part 8 - Recovery)
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Prologue 1. Incident - Bit 1 | Bit 2 2. Fallout - Bit 1 | Bit 2 | Bit 3 3. Voyage - Bit 1 | Bit 2 | Bit 3 4. Arrival - Bit 1 | Bit 2 5. Orientation 6. Rescue Site 7. Investigation 8. Recovery
This one is over 4600 words to the point I considered cutting it in half. But lots happens so I’ve posted it whole. Now I just need to play catch up because I had a crappy couple of weeks and now I’m only about 500 words ahead of this. I have a few days off coming up, so wish me luck :D
As always, many thanks to the amazing @janetm74​ @scribbles97​ @tsarinatorment​ @vegetacide​ and science officer @onereyofstarlight​ You guys have helped me make this what it is. I so hope you are enjoying it.
For the first time in this story, I’ve slightly gone off plan and have had to add in a chapter because of it. Here’s hoping I can keep this going. We are now at 35,000 words which is approximately halfway.
Warnings: some whump.
Thank you for all your support with this fic. I doubt I could do it without all the cheerleading and support. You guys are just amazing ::hugs you so much::
Enjoy!
-o-o-o-
Jeff Tracy was a man of action and drive. Eight years in the depths of space had eroded the edges of his impatience, but hadn’t eliminated it.
So, sitting in Callisto Base watching his family work and not having anything much to do wasn’t in the best interests of his mental health.
But what could he do?
He had set up a kind of mobile control despite not being in control of anything. John had linked him into everything and he and Lee had pretty much taken over one of the command centres of the Base.
Grae hovered the entire time.
Jeff watched the well-oiled machine that was International Rescue with no small amount of pride. He watched them track down the lifesigns, survey the site, drill extra access, deploy Thunderbird Four and-
“Gordon!”
“Guys, get out of there! Now!”
The holographic image of the lake swelled and swept his sons away.
Jeff was on his feet without thinking.
Three of the five life signs on the strategy map darted erratically, one coming to an abrupt stop against the cavern wall, while the two others travelled some distance up the main tunnel before stopping suddenly.
“Thunderbird Five!”
“Please hold.”
Jeff’s eyes widened. “John!”
Data was suddenly thrown at his terminal. His sons’ vitals sprung up and he was relieved to find them all strong. A sitrep appeared a moment later tracking where the wave had come from, probabilities of a recurrence, a site safety scan and a feed from the Dragonfly Pod.
Its lights were still on, one shining at an angle across the tunnel it had landed in, the other reflected back a glare of white and a blue as beautiful as an Earth sky in the early evening.
The first one explained why.
One of the Dragonfly’s legs was sticking up out of a solidified white mass.
Of ice.
The math added up in his head very abruptly and he was suddenly moving.
It was a sign that Lee and he still had that unspoken communication as the engineer didn’t even ask and just moved with him, following his mad run to the hangar without a word.
Alan and Gordon had left the second Dragonfly pod at the Base and Jeff was ever so grateful.
“What’s…where are you going?” Grae’s eyes were wide as they all skidded to the side of the pod.
“Three of my sons are buried in ice. Where do you think I’m going?”
He didn’t bother to wait for an answer, climbing up into the cockpit with a leap of agility he hadn’t felt for years. With a nod from Lee, he snapped the hatch shut and grabbed controls he hadn’t used outside of a simulator in over a decade.
It was like returning home.
The Dragonfly took off for the airlock far above as the doors began their opening sequence without request.
-o-o-o-
John reacted the way he always reacted.
Without thought. There was no time for thought.
Hands moving across his console dragged as much information as he could from the static-fouled scans.
He blinked as the interference cleared somewhat.
A worried plea from his father John had no time for. A flick of his wrist and he mirrored his sources to his father’s terminal.
All three of his brothers had come to a halt. Gordon was still in the cavern, Four slammed up against a wall. Scott and Virgil were in the tunnel. Vital signs were still good, but there was no response from any of them.
No matter how much he yelled into comms.
One of the beacons had been swept away, causing the interference to intensify in that area, but the readings he had added up to a scenario that echoed past hell.
His father was already moving.
“John?” Alan’s voice was professional but sported an edge of terror.
“I’m coming down, Thunderbird Three.” He grabbed his helmet. “Dad is on his way out there. Do we have enough parts for a third Dragonfly?”
His brother’s voice solidified with the plan of action. “Yeah, Virg overcompensated as always. He packed stuff in as if he was planning to stay out here for a couple of years.”
John didn’t answer that. “Assemble another pod. I’ll see you down there asap.”
“FAB, Thunderbird Five.”
“Eos, align the Excel with the danger zone. Initiate elevator deployment.” He flung himself through his ‘bird. “I need as much information as you can give me. Relay on descent.”
“Yes, John. It appears that the water volume of the lake increased dramatically before the incident, but has now returned to its previous status.”
John slipped through the airlock to the elevator. He hit his comms. “Michael, there has been an incident. I am going down to the surface. You have the Excel.”
“FAB, Thunderbird Five. I will monitor.”
“Liaise with Eos.” He killed the connection as he entered the cockpit, his seat rotating towards him in welcome. “Eos, be nice.”
“I don’t like him.”
“Too bad. We need him.”
She grumbled in a way reminiscent of Virgil before coffee.
Maybe she had been taking notes.
He ignored it. “Send all information to my terminal here.” The elevator shuddered as it disengaged from Five and began its descent. The cockpit lit up with holograms.
He eyed the replay of the static-riddled scan as the lake swelled and overcame his brothers.
Four had been swept out of the water and washed ashore violently. Scott and Virgil, standing on that shore, hadn’t stood a chance.
One gloved hand reached up to poke the playback, pause and rewind. There had been a local seismic disturbance just before, epicentre to the north-east by a few hundred metres. Minor on an Earth scale, but since Callisto supposedly hadn’t had any major crustal movements in eons, it was unusual in the extreme.
“Eos, pull the Base seismic records. Have they detected anything like this before?”
The elevator’s thrusters fired as it hit the faint atmospheric boundary.
“Their system has recorded several incidents, but nothing of this magnitude.” Eos’ voice shifted to one of concern. “Incidents have been increasing recently. There have been three in the past month. John, one was recorded by the Base system the same day as the five members of their crew disappeared.”
“What? Why wasn’t that mentioned?”
“Unknown.”
He stared at the scan. “Do we have any source for more water to reach the lake?” It hurt his physics sensibilities. Water should not exist as a fluid in this environment at all.
“None within sensor range.”
Damnit. He was used to being able to see everything.
“Deploy a net of probes. I want everything in a ten thousand kilometre radius as crystal clear as you can get it.” If there was a pun in there, he refused to acknowledge it.
“Yes, John. That will cover the entire surface of the moon.”
“Exactly.” Something weird was happening here and he wanted to know what. If he had to throw everything Thunderbird Five had at it, he would.
The elevator thrusters fired again and the moon appeared around his windows, followed by the striking red of Three.
“Alan, are you ready?”
“Pod assembled, Thunderbird Five. Awaiting your orders.” There was no tremble in his brother’s voice, but there was an anxious impatience.
The elevator touched down with a soft thud. Eos’ control was perfect. “Thank you, Eos.”
“You are welcome, John.” A pause. “Be safe.”
His lips tightened a little. “FAB, Thunderbird Five.”
She didn’t answer as he stepped out onto the moon.
-o-o-o-
Alan didn’t remember his mother, but he had four brothers who did and he knew far too well the pain of what had happened when she was taken from them.
The fact that three of those brothers were now buried in the space-ice equivalent of an avalanche was absolutely terrifying.
The water had managed to travel some distance before solidifying and trapping everything. As far as Alan could tell, his brothers were encased in ice.
If they had been on Earth their lives would be in peril. In space, they were at least wearing their spacesuits. But spacesuits could be damaged.
He didn’t let himself follow that train of thought. He couldn’t afford it right now. Instead, he followed procedure.
That was what procedure was for.
It was a matter of minutes before John was stepping off the space elevator, his tall brother as confident and professional as ever.
Part of Alan was still surprised when John directed him to take control of the pod. Perhaps it was because Alan was used to the control freak habits of his two eldest brothers?
“Get us down there Alan.” John was distracted, glaring at his wrist projector.
He didn’t need to be told twice. With John secure in the backseat, Alan threw them down the gaping hole his ‘bird had dug, through the mole’s extension and into the dry cavern below.
The dragonfly latched onto the beacons and they darted down the correct tunnel, glittering rock streaking past them as their twin beams of bright light hit everything.
Including the mass of white that that suddenly swelled up on one side of the tunnel.
It wasn’t quite a wave, more a slosh of water, frozen in motion.
“What the hell?”
“Edge down the tunnel a little further, Scott is...” But they were already there and the flash of blue and red was obvious.
His eldest brother was embedded in the ice halfway up the wall. Alan only had breath as he yanked the dragonfly to an abrupt halt, her claws leaving gouges in the ice. “Scott!”
He was out of the pod as fast humanly possible.
One of his brother’s arms was dangling free and Alan reached for it. “Scott?”
Limp, gloved fingers.
John already had a hand laser out and the red of its beam was cutting ice in a loose silhouette of their brother’s body. As they worked him free, bits of ice fell away to the floor. It was fragmentary. Somewhere between solid and hard packed snow. The water had obviously frozen so quickly, it was aerated enough to stiffen fully.
Fortunately, because Alan had the sudden realisation that spacesuits or no, if his brothers couldn’t expand their ribcages, they couldn’t breathe regardless. The sudden relief sprouted new terror.
John helped Alan lower their big brother to the floor.
“Sc…Scott?”
For a second, Alan thought it was John speaking, but his astronaut brother answered, voice urgent. “Virgil?”
No response.
“Thunderbird Two, status!” John was moving, long legs leaping in the low gravity, propelling him back to the pod. He reached inside and pulled out a large torch. “Alan, attend to Scott.” And then his brother was running further down the tunnel, light bouncing ahead of him, holographic map hovering over his wrist.
A further spark of terror was smothered in Alan’s brain as he turned back to his prone and unconscious eldest brother and began chipping and melting ice to free him.
-o-o-o-
Virgil was lying flat on his back staring at white lit up by his helmet lights.
It took him a few solid minutes to realise exactly what he was looking at. His brain felt sluggish and was hurting like hell. He really needed more painkillers.
He automatically tried to calculate how long it was since his last dose and came up blank. There was time missing.
This realisation was quickly followed by the discovery that he wasn’t able to move.
God, his brain was slow. The first thought that came to mind was that yet another building had fallen on him. It happened far more often than he was willing to admit.
But then where was his exosuit?
He blinked slowly.
One arm was caught at an awkward angle and was protesting its position. His legs seemed to be splayed out evenly, though and his other arm seemed happy enough. Hell, there wasn’t really even much weight on him. He had definitely had worse.
But his chest was tight and breathing shallow. Something had him in its grip and he had to force down the visuals that came with that.
Not being able to move always sucked.
He really wished his head would stop hurting.
“Sc..Scott?” It was instinctual. In trouble, call for his big brother.
Need a hand.
“Virgil?” John’s voice. Johnny had the power to call Scotty, to get him help.
He opened his mouth to answer, but something shifted in the ice...ice...it was ice! Memories slammed into him of ice and snow and trapped and oh god...his sluggish brain couldn’t handle it.
“Thunderbird Two, status!”
John’s voice shook him.
Um, um…his heart was beating a mile a minute. He fought for control.
“Virgil? Son?”
Dad.
His father’s voice set off both relief and fear. Relief because of a deep-seated trust in his own father.
Fear because where was Scott? Scott should be here.
But Scott had been with him when the whatever had hit him.
Had hit him.
Water.
Space.
Callisto.
Sparkling crystal flickered in his mind’s eye.
“Scott?”
“Your brother is in good hands.”
Even his sluggish brain could see that as a non-answer. “Dad?”
“We’re digging you out.”
Oh.
As if to emphasize that statement there was a red flash and the world around him hissed. He closed his eyes as the light stabbed into his hurting head.
“Dad? Gordon?”
“Nearly there, son.”
Virgil’s heart clenched.
They uncovered his head first and Virgil teared up at the sight of his father’s worried expression above him. John was there as well, darting in and out of sight, obviously the source of the laser light.
“Johnny…”
There was a crack in the ice.
Ice.
His mind blanked in terror again.
Too many memories.
Far too many.
“Virgil! Look at me!” Dad’s voice held command and he had no choice but to obey. “You are safe.” His hand was being held and Virgil realised it had been cut from the ice. He tried to move his other arm, every heavy-lifting muscle he had straining against its restriction.
Another crack of stressed ice, a yelp from John and Virgil’s arm was suddenly free, ice fragments raining down on him.
Encouraged, he began working on his feet.
“Virgil, stay still just a moment longer.” John’s voice was strained.
Virgil wanted out.
“Virgil.” His Dad grabbed his flailing hand forced him to look at him, grey eyes reflecting the white ice. “Hold still, John is cutting you out.”
Yes, John was cutting him out. Red flickered amongst the white. Virgil swallowed and attempted to get the panic under control and found that he was trembling.
Damn.
He was a rescue operative. He should be calm.
The remaining weight on his belly was removed and he was finally able to take a deep breath.
It helped ever so much.
He closed his eyes and sought his centre.
And fell back on procedure.
If Scott was down, International Rescue was now his responsibility. He needed to be in control.
In control.
By the time John lifted the remaining ice off his legs, Virgil had found himself again. He clambered out of the ice as fast as he possibly could and shot to his feet.
And nearly fell flat on his face for the effort.
His father grabbed him and prevented his fall. “Virgil, sit down.”
There was a flicker of a medscanner, but Virgil was too busy assessing the situation to care. “Scott?”
“With Alan. Unconscious, but safe.”
“Gordon?”
“Still in the cave. Thunderbird Four is silent. I sent Lee. John is following him down.”
Damn. Virgil shook the last of the ice stuck to his uniform, straightened his baldric and took a step towards the direction of the cave, but was halted by a firm grip on his arm.
“You’re not going down there.”
Virgil spun on one foot and the world in all its glittering glory spun with him. “Gordon is down there.”
“John and Lee have him. You were buried in ice, Virgil.”
To his ultimate shame, Virgil shuddered at the concept.
But Gordon...
That grip on his arm tightened. “You’re coming with me.”
Virgil straightened, forcing steel into his spine. “With Scott unconscious, I am in command. I need to be down there.”
“No, you don’t.” His father took a step back up the tunnel, obviously intending to drag Virgil if he had to.
Virgil was no longer the scrappy kid who wanted to play with his paints instead of cleaning his room, and he stood fast.
His father had been in space a long time and his strength had paid the price.
There was no competition.
Buried in ice or not.
“Dad, I am going down to help with Gordon. Scott needs you. I’ll meet you up there the moment Gordon is safe.”
The need to be in two places at once, or more correctly four places, at least, was a common feeling Virgil had to ignore.
Gordon was the priority.
“I need an analysis of what happened. There was a wave. Why? See to Scott and Alan.” He reached up and gently peeled his father’s grip of his arm. “Thank you for helping me. Now I have to go help my brothers.” Turning he hit his comms, asked John for a sit rep and hurried down the tunnel.
He did not look back.
-o-o-o-
Scott had a headache.
That was the first hint of reality and not a new one in his life. He often woke with headaches, the only remaining question was what caused it this time.
“Hey, Scott, are you with us?”
Alan.
Several factors hit home at once. He was wearing his helmet, hence his uniform and Alan, only Alan, had said his name.
Mission.
He was sitting up before his brain had filled him in on the fact he was millions of miles away from home and gravity was a whole different thing on Callisto.
“Whoa!” Hands grabbed him. Hands that definitely belonged to Alan. The astronaut was crouched over him with worried eyes. “Take it easy. You might have a concussion.”
Head injury then.
“Mission status.”
“John’s gone after Gordon. Virgil is awake and out of the ice.”
Gordon. Gordon had been in the water. The weird water.
The very idea of Virgil being buried in ice again awoke horrors he did not want to face.
“Help me up.” Scott rolled himself over, ignoring the protests from his brother to stay put. His head protested very loudly and it became very apparent that the supposed head injury was not impressed with any movement.
Ow.
But, mission.
“Scott, what are you doing?” Another set of hands grabbed at him, which was probably a good thing because he was going down if they hadn’t. As it was, the whole world shifted as he was forcibly lowered to sit on the white, white ground again.
There was a flicker of yellow light and muttering from his youngest brother. “We need to get him back to base.” Alan’s voice was worried.
But Gordon. “I’ve got to go help Gordon.” He tried to stand up again, but too many hands held him down. His shoulders were grabbed and he found a pair of grey eyes staring at him. “Dad? Gordy is in danger.”
“I know son. John, Lee and Virgil will see to him.”
Virgil. He blinked. “Virgil was with me!” Again he struggled to get up.
His father held him down. “Virgil is very determined that he is fine. You, however, are not. You have a concussion. I will take you back to the Base and you will rest. Alan will help his brothers.”
“But-“
The hands on his shoulders squeezed. “Do I have to ask Virgil to reinforce that order?”
Virgil? Order? God, his head hurt.
But this was Dad. Dad knew what to do in space. Dad was...Dad was...
“Scott, you with me?”
He was shaken just a little and his head hated him for it. A groan and his hand encountered his helmet. Augh.
Space sucked.
“C’mon, Scotty, let’s get you into the pod.” Alan’s voice was gentle and professional. He was so proud of his little brother. “Yeah, well, I learnt from the best. Up you get.”
He was pulled slowly to his feet and he had to bite down or lose whatever the hell it was he had eaten last. There were steps and then he was sitting and familiar restraints were holding him in place.
He closed his eyes.
Gordon. He had to help Gordon.
“Your brothers will help him, Scott, you know that.”
But-
His world shook as the pod lifted. He glimpsed the back of his father’s helmet. Dad. Dad was driving. Dad had control.
He could let go.
-o-o-o-
Alan swallowed as their father launched the pod back down the tunnel, its headlights sparkling.
He had reported Scott’s status the moment they had the medscanner’s results and had received a very abrupt acknowledgement from Virgil.
It was unusual to have Virgil in command in space. It wasn’t his native environment and he didn’t venture into it very often. It, of course, wasn’t the first time, and Alan trusted Virgil with his life. But this was Alan’s turf, he needed to be there to help.
He leapt into the remaining dragonfly and dashed off down the tunnel.
It got tighter and tighter as he flew closer to the Crystal Cave, his access blocked by frozen lake water. For a moment he thought he was going to have to abandon the pod, but he was just able to squeeze through the entrance.
The lake was exactly as it had been. Calm and glittering in the pod’s headlamps. He turned slowly on the rocky beach to find Four, free of ice, jammed up against the wall beside the tunnel entrance. She was on her port side, cabin rammed into the rock.
Alan’s heart clenched as he set the dragonfly down.
Both John and Virgil along with Uncle Lee were attempting to gain access via the rear hatch. The ‘bird was made for water, but on the very rare occasion such as this, Brains had built space capable redundancies into her airlock.
How many submersibles in this universe were also space capsules in disguise?
But all this was redundant if the seals had been compromised.
A quick query of Thunderbird Five reassured Alan that Gordon’s vitals were still strong. There was still no response from their fish brother, but he was alive and relatively stable and Four reported no seal ruptures.
Yet.
Virgil grunted as the back of Four was slowly cranked open. Uncle Lee and his engineer brother were putting all their muscle into heaving the hatch open while John slipped into the vehicle.
A moment later the door was shoved shut again and Alan was surprised to see Virgil seal it with a hand laser.
Tired eyes caught Alan’s. His brother didn’t need to explain why he was doing what he was doing.
“Inner airlock door is now compromised.” John’s voice was calm and sure despite the subject matter. “Proceeding to the cockpit.”
Alan stared at Virgil a moment, caught by his haggard expression before hurrying around Four towards her belly viewports.
All he could see was Gordon’s feet. No matter how he shone his hand light through those windows, he could see nothing more. Gordon’s pilot’s seat obscured everything.
For it to be in that position it had to have been severed off its mountings.
Hell.
Determined, Alan scrambled around Four’s nose and tried to find her front viewports. Everything was obscured by rock.
Crystal glittered mockingly at him, an almost scarlet chunk of quartz sticking out of the wall and falling over as if it was reaching for Four.
Alan fought the urge to shove it away from his brother’s ‘bird.
“Cockpit hatch is non-operational. Eos, relay through my suit sensors and give me a detailed report on Gordon’s position.” John’s voice was ever so calm.
Alan wanted to scream.
He hurried back to the lower ports and stared at his brother’s feet.
Again Gordon had been crushed in his ‘bird. How hurt was he this time. How long would he take to recover?
Virgil spoke up and Alan was startled to find his engineer brother and Uncle Lee standing beside him. Virgil was standing ramrod straight. “Eos, can you pull any medical data?”
“Please hold.” The AI’s voice was crisp and professional. “Compensating for interference.”
Damned interference. Alan was so sick of static. Their comm lines and sensor feeds were usually perfect. What was it with this place?
A big hand gently wrapped around his arm.
“I’m fine, Virgil.”
The hand did not let go.
“Thank you, Eos.” How did John stay so calm? “Cutting into the cockpit now.”
Virgil’s wrist control lit up and projected the sensor data he had requested from Eos. True to this place, parts flickered and there was some pixilation, but a clear outline of both Gordon and John inside Four was all the reassurance it could be.
Gordon was curled up on the ‘floor’ of his ‘bird, on what had been Four’s portside viewports.
The laser cutter in John’s hand flared up brightly as he cut through the cockpit hatch mechanisms.
Red light flickered through the marine acrylic enough to catch on Alan’s uniform.
“His right arm is broken again.” Virgil sighed. “He’s going to be so pissed.”
“I’m in.” And John was. Light lit up the viewports, quickly followed by the yellow of a medscanner.
“Oh, thank god.” Beside him, Virgil visibly deflated in relief. The hologram lit up with Gordon’s full medical details. A red alarm hovered over one arm where the break snapped his right ulna and his head had an orange flag that pinpointed a likely concussion. But other than that, Gordon appeared whole and safe, his spacesuit undamaged and airtight. Alan’s shoulders dropped almost as much as Virgil’s.
“He’s safe to move, John.” No doubt John knew that, but Virgil obviously had a need to confirm it anyway. He had a habit of doing that. Alan wasn’t really sure who it was for, Virgil’s brothers or himself.
The next few moments involved cutting open the rear hatch of Four again. This time there was the hiss of escaping atmosphere as Virgil took the entire door off the sub, no longer needing to worry about Gordon’s suit integrity.
John emerged carefully carrying his unconscious brother, Gordon’s helmeted head limp on one shoulder, his arm in an emergency splint, no doubt from one of Four’s first aid packs.
“Vincent, I’m thinking you boys need to take your brother back to base.”
Alan suddenly realised they were a pod or two short to carry all of them. There were five operatives and only one pod.
Uncle Lee eyed Virgil, his lips thin. “Albert, you could fly George while Vincent, John and I dig out the other pod.”
Virgil shifted his feet as he translated that, and Alan frowned at him. His engineer brother was wrecked. Alan could see it in his eyes. Understandable
Virgil’s nod was firm, regardless. “FAB. Alan, you’re with Gordon. John, what is the impact of the interference on Eos’ capability to pilot the pod if necessary?”
Their space brother was looking down at Gordon’s face frowning. “Eos is deploying a moon-wide probe net. We can use them to strengthen the signal. I think that above ground, Thunderbird Five should be able to pilot reliably. I would not recommend attempting it underground.”
Virgil nodded again before striding over to Alan’s pod and, climbing up and throwing the hatch back, began reconfiguring the backseat to transport their injured brother.
Alan hurried over to help and within minutes, John had secured their unconscious aquanaut brother prone on his side in the back of the pod.
Silent, eyes closed, non-responsive.
Alan took off smoothly and with as much care as possible, flew back up the tunnel, heading above ground and back to Callisto Base.
His last glance at the Crystal Cave outlined the shapes of two brothers and an uncle standing ever so alone in a giant cavern that had tried to kill three of his brothers.
-o-o-o-
Next
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nativerse · 4 years ago
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Letters From Mabe to Tabantha
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​Hi everyone! I’m finally able to post the piece I wrote for @memorabiliazine​, as preorders have started shipping! It tells the story of a woman who has moved from Tabantha Village to Mabe Village, through letters she has written to her childhood friend. I wanted this story to focus on the life of an ordinary person living in Hyrule, years and years before the calamity started. We often think of the people in Hyrule in the context of the horrors that happened to them, and the ways in which they survived, but what about the times when they experienced life ordinarily, not defined by the calamity they were destined to live through?
I absolutely loved writing this— please enjoy!
My dear friend,
The air in Mabe is so different, but I’m becoming acquainted. Here it envelops every breathing thing, thick like honey, sunshine and expansive sky, but I am accustomed to the crispness and cold frost of Tabantha. I write to you now as I sit, at my window, as little spots of light flicker through the trees and onto the objects of my house, illuminating them strangely, as with everything else in this town that light touches. Life here is so different, and the softness of the air has yet to become a friend to me. Increasingly, I long to feel something familiar, anything recognizable, but only one thing has caught my eye—
To the north I can see the spires of Hyrule Castle. I remember fondly, in our youth, when we would sit and watch the sun rise in the east, silhouetting the castle beautifully. We dreamt of a life within those walls. Now, as the veil of distance and childhood is lifted, a life like that does not seem as inviting… But I still have caught myself staring at those tall, arched windows from time to time, looking to catch a glimpse of movement. I wonder if the princess wishes she was someone like us. Maybe a little bit of my younger self is still alive in me, deep down.
You would love it here, in the warm verdure. Beyond the boundaries of this village we are surrounded by fields for miles, and from here I can see the long grasses sway like the ocean. I know Tabantha lies past those fields, and I know you are there, too, somewhere on the horizon. I am not as far away as I feel. There are so many people here, more than there ever were at home… Even now, I hear my neighbors laughing in the streets below. But I still cannot dispense this feeling of isolation. It is clinging to me like my memories of Tabantha, and my memories of you.
I will see to it that this is sent to you, and I await your response. I think I will catch one of the merchants moving west and put this letter in their care, so it will arrive swiftly. It has only been a few nights, but loneliness is not something to be underestimated. I’m afraid I will forget your face by the time we meet again.
I am thinking of you, always.
With love
——————
My dear friend,
The seasons are truly changing in this part of Hyrule. This morning I awoke to quite an affirming blanket of snow on the ground, and I realized just how long it has been since I’ve seen a landscape like the one in Mabe today. It was a soft reminder of home, one I am already hesitant to let go of... No matter how life presented itself in Tabantha Village, there was certain reassurance found in that monotony of snow.
This may sound strange, but late at night, when I am on the edge of sleep, I can see those white, rolling hills of the village so vividly. I see the mountains and the icy rivers of Hebra, just as I did in childhood, I see my hands, my footprints in the snow, I see my mother’s face, whole and reflective like the moon. I see yours.
I dreamt last night I was sitting on that river bank above Hebra Plunge, staring down at myself in the water. It felt so real, but some bitter reason, no matter what I did, I could not recognize my own reflection. I was an outsider to my own body and mind, occupying a world I had no place in, looking down at someone I did not know. I continue to ask myself what this could mean, but I remain with only questions, and no answers...
I woke from sleep with a sort of residual homesickness, the kind that makes your whole body ache. As much as I wish I could dispense of that feeling for good, there was still something comforting about waking up to find that snow had fallen. The world greeted me at dawn as if it was an old friend.
Remember to stay warm.
With love
——————
My dear friend,
I was walking home the evening before last, watching birds circle high above me, and a memory surfaced, one I have not thought of in years—
Do you remember during those warmer months, when your father would let us accompany him on his trips towards the Tabantha frontier? Those were the days when we hadn’t travelled anywhere outside of the village, and every excursion past the boundaries of home felt like a lifetime to my childhood mind. I was too young at the time to remember what the occasions for these trips were, and as we grew older I never thought to ask, but the memories from such trips still linger… We would fall asleep as we left home and wake up as the highest tower of Rito Village came into view from behind the mountains. That feeling has stayed with me since then, along with the warm smell of pine and dust in the air. No matter how much time goes on, I don’t believe I’ll ever forget it.
I remember wanting to see everything, and touch everything I could. Life felt so big and overwhelming and unknown, and we had only just begun to explore it. I wonder, would you want to go back and experience that feeling again, if it were possible? Even for just a moment? The world feels much smaller now than it did years ago— Or maybe now, I simply take up more space in it. 
The passage of time recently has become obvious to me. It is hard to believe I’ve been in Mabe for almost two years. It has begun to feel like home here, but I believe part of my soul will always remain in Tabantha, buried somewhere deep in the snow… 
I’m sorry. You tell me to look towards the future, but I cannot help dwelling on these old memories. Time passes by so quickly, and the only choice we’re given is to continue along with it. We will never be children again, this I know. Isn’t it strange how something can be so beautiful, yet so heartbreaking, all at once?
It is difficult to put into words how all of this made me feel on my way home. I just kept walking, and kept watching the birds.
With love
——————
My dear friend,
Have I ever told you about the view from my bedroom window? When the air is clearest I am able to see all the way across Hyrule Field towards the Tabantha Hills from this spot on my bed. Years ago, on slower afternoons, I would go out into that big sea of billowing grasses and sit down, and watch wild horses graze in the distance, and imagine what the journey would be like if I walked all the way back to you. A fleeting, sunlit moment of peace in a life otherwise full of confusion... I do not have the time anymore for such excursions, but I do still think about it once every so often…
Time continues to pass quickly, to no one’s surprise. Last winter, my neighbors had a son. I see them daily, and it astounds me how fast he is growing. On the days when they need help looking after him, I bring him to Hylia River just east of here, to let him wade around in the shallow water and chase frogs. I love watching him experience the world with such perfect, fragile simplicity… I often imagine what kind of person he will be when he’s older, but for now it is enough just to watch him babble and laugh. One day he will be different, just as we all will be. More than anything, I want the world to nurture him gently as he lives in it. How beautiful it is, the ability to grow up.
I have a question to ask you, one that I have been considering for some time now. I know your birthday is quickly approaching, and in the past we have always settled for sending gifts back and forth… But, would you like it if I made a visit home this year, in time to celebrate with you? I feel terrible that I have not offered sooner, but the occasion to do so always seemed to pass me by without warning.
Please let me know. We have been apart for far too long.
With love
——————
My dear friend,
I can hardly wait to see you again. In packing up my things, I came across my old coat in the back of my wardrobe, the one your mother made for me. There has not been a need for it in this fair Mabe weather, but I never had it in me to give it away… It still holds that faint smell of charcoal I had forgotten about…
How much have you changed since I left all those years ago? I wonder, do you still have the first letter I wrote? As embarrassing as it is to say, I’ve kept all of yours. They serve as good medicine for when I find myself thinking of Tabantha. I try to imagine your voice speaking to me as I read them, but what a relief it will soon be to hear it from your own mouth instead.
I’m counting down the days. By the time you read this, I will most likely already be on my way... 
Sent with great anticipation and all of my love
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olivinesea · 4 years ago
Note
If you’re still in need of a distraction for your car ride:
Which three songs would be on on road trip mixtape for Hotch and which on a mix tape for Penelope?
What are the three US landmarks that Hotch would want to show Jack and why?
The team (member constellation of your choice) has to take a suv to get to the remote crime scene. The car breaks down, it’s already getting dark. Who keeps cool, who panics, who knows nothing about cars and is useless but brought water and snacks, who tries to repair the car and succeeds and who holds the torch so the one doing the repairs can see what they’re doing?
So many fun ideas! Here we go, in reverse order.
3. SUV breaks down. I’m gonna try a little blurb for this. Also, please note my satisfaction at being able to translate “torch” to “flashlight.”
Emily sat on the fence, despite the clear risk of collapse or splinters. She was happily throwing sunflower seeds at Hotch’s head. They got caught in his hair while he bent over the engine, trying to decipher what was going on. Morgan, holding the flashlight, suppressed his laughter with a grimace when Hotch looked up for the fifth time, glaring at Emily but not giving her the satisfaction of grumbling at her. He wouldn’t crack that easily. Emily stuck her tongue out at him and he huffed, looking back at the disaster that was the car’s insides. Morgan snorted and Hotch glared at him too. Morgan held up both his hands, feigning innocence. The flashlight beam swung away from the work area.
“Hey man, it’s all her. You know how she gets.”
“Just keep the light on this will you?” Hotch scowled, returning to his task.
Meanwhile, Spencer was quietly freaking out, trying and failing to stay calm. He had been calculating how much water they had versus how many people they were and the potential temperature fluctuations and how that was going to affect their hydration needs. The numbers were not adding up in their favor. He twisted a lock of hair between his fingers, coiling and uncoiling it as he chewed on his lip, debating when to bring the issue up.
His thoughts were sound so tightly that a low rumbling sound from the front seat made him jump, yelping that some animal had come for them.
“Relax, my friend.”
Penelope’s hand squeezed his arm, her brightly colored nails reflecting the last bits of sunlight. “It’s just Rossi.”
Spencer looked and sure enough, Rossi was passed out in the passenger’s seat, mouth ever so slightly open.
“I—I knew that,” Spencer looked down at the ground. He noted with displeasure that the shadows had fallen thickly enough to wash out the colors of their shoes, everything becoming a muted blue-grey.
“Come on,” she said, tugging his arm gently. “I’ve got snacks.”
Back at the car she pulled a chocolate chip granola bar out of her purse. She handed it to him then used her phone light to dig around deeper while he crunched.
“Aha! Here you go.”
“What is it?” Spencer rolled the wooden object around in his hand. It was a cube about the size of his palm.
“It’s a puzzle box,” Penelope sounded pleased.
“A what?” Spencer was perplexed. How was this going to help them at all?
“I can’t get it open. I’ve been trying for weeks now. Will you try? There’s supposed to be something cool inside.”
“I guess...” but Spencer was already engrossed in the task, feeling the edges with his fingertips, trying to find a piece with more give than the rest.
Penelope smiled to herself, going back into her bag for more snacks to offer the others. As she walked around the front of the car, JJ appeared walking from the opposite direction, hood pulled up.
“Good news everyone,” she called, still a little far away. They all looked up at her. “Managed to get service up the hill, a tow truck will be here in a bit.”
There was a collective sigh of relief from everyone. Everyone except Emily who muttered darkly to herself.
“Fuck.”
“What’s that now?” Derek asked.
“I was just finalizing my list.” She smiled at them, her teeth just visible in the low light.
“What—“
“No, don’t ask her,” Hotch cut off Penelope’s question. “I am sure I do not want to know.”
“Suit yourself,” Emily said sweetly, hopping off the fence and going to Penelope. “Got any Red Vines?”
2. US Landmarks: ok I don’t know shit about the east coast where I’m sure there are many important landmarks that they could easily visit but let’s pretend they travel west for some reason? Also I’m an outdoor nut so that’s the kind of list you’re going to get. I’m sure there’s very nice inside places he would go too, but not this trip.
Arches National Park/Moab - why? There are fossilized dinosaur tracks nearby and what kid doesn’t love dinosaurs?? You can straight up put your hand inside some of them. It’s incredible. Also the rock formations are INSANE and very cool. Hotch can talk about rock nerd stuff which he obviously cares about bc I do.
Olympic National Park - rainforest, in the Pacific Northwest, glaciers, alpine lakes, this place looks so fucking beautiful. I want to go so Hotch wants to go. They talk about ecology and the importance of taking care of the environment. Kid stuff.
The giant metal bean in Chicago. It is odd and Hotch is odd. Also I feel like there’s some lesson there about creativity and following your dreams and maybe also engineering? Plus they’d get very cute pictures to send back to the team.
1. Road trip playlist pics
Hotch is a dad rocker through and through. That is his sound and he is a big nerd so he would definitely pick traveling themed lyrics.
I’m A Ramblin Man - Waylon Jennings
Proud Mary - CCR
Mr. Blue Sky - ELO
Penelope is high energy girl pop for sure. She is having a great time, singing along, probably eating sour gummy worms bc those are delicious.
Wannabe - Spice Girls
One, Two Step - Ciara & Missy Elliott
Glamorous - Fergie
Send me requests!
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innranrae · 4 years ago
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🐚 A Birthday Amidst the Archipelago
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A/N: oneshot for my fav russian boys bday, i included the golden apple archipelago bc it was the most fun event/area I've experienced in genshin so far and I'll miss it a lot but at least it's inazuma and electro aether time, anyways hope you enjoy this and if you have suggestions/tips on writing or anything please lmk! I'm new to it all and I'm trying my best ;w; my friend proofread this tho and shes big brain so id say this one is pretty swaggy
→ pairing(s): Zhongli/Childe, Aether/Venti (kinda platonic tbh), Venti and Dvalin vibing
→ word count: ~ 3k
→ cw: alcohol
→ ao3
🏖️
Zhongli sensed a large being coming from the skies of Duyun Ruins. He did not want to believe it, but his doubts were soon confirmed.
Dvalin descended from the clouds with a heavy thud, sending the living creatures around either running or flying. Mounted on the Dragon of the East were Venti and Aether; The bard wore a pair of sunglasses and a light attire that shocked Zhongli to the core, he had thought the anemo archon could not get any more ludicrous, but it appears he was mistaken.
A slight frown grew on his face watching the scene and the geo archon couldn’t help but raise his palm to his face, sighing. On the flip side, Childe was astonished; his eyes sparkled observing Dvalin, considering what the outcome would be if they were to fight.
2 days earlier
“Traveler,
It has been some time since we last saw each other. I do hope your ventures are going smoothly.
I am writing to you to request assistance with an event that will take place two days from now. As you may know, Childe’s birthday is on the 20th of this month and I have been finding it hard to come up with a suitable gift. I wish to surprise him but nothing that fits my criteria comes to mind, in addition to the fact I am still adjusting to mortal life and their festivals.
If you do not mind and, of course, if you are free that day, I hope you can help me with this matter.
Zhongli”
After sending his letter to Aether, Zhongli straightened his shoulders on the stool at one of Heyu Tea House’s tables, raising a cup of steaming tea to his mouth, and waited for his guest to arrive.
“Receiving an invitation from Mr. Zhongli first sure feels nice,” a voice shouted coming from the stairs.
Zhongli glanced at the harbinger who took a seat by his side, “Childe, do you have any plans for your birthday?”
Childe widened his eyes slightly, “Birthday?” He raised his hand thoughtfully to his face. “Oh, my birthday! Hm… Is Mr. Zhongli planning on giving me some type of gift?” The harbinger smiled playfully.
“Please answer my question.”
“Nope! None at all.”
In actuality, Childe should be busy taking care of the Fatui’s business around Liyue; unfortunately for his underlings, he was going to do whatever he wanted either way. Additionally, he had a feeling Mr. Zhongli’s question was not trivial, and speculated the archon probably wanted to make plans.
“I see."
Unexpectedly, instead of proceeding on that topic, Zhongli said nothing more as he took another sip of his tea.
Despite the surprising lack of further development, he forgot about it as soon as Zhongli started to talk about a Ruin Hunter he encountered the prior day in the fields.
He knew by now what topics intrigued Childe's simple warrior mind, and that alone had Childe rambling about fighting tactics and his own experiences to Zhongli, occasionally trying to convince the archon to fight him, which he politely refused.
Meanwhile, at the Golden Apple Archipelago...
"I could really use a hand over here, Venti!" Aether's cry for help could barely be heard over the shrieking group of hilichurls advancing one after the other.
"But I-"
After unleashing a wind vortex from his palm, Aether glared at the bard, who was leisurely plucking the strings of his lyre on top of a rock. "Playing a battle song isn't helping!" He cut Venti off, resulting in the end of Venti's untimely concert with lots of whining.
After jumping off the rock, the bard shot an arrow that sent the group of monsters flying altogether.
The pair had a short-lived moment of relief, but soon the eerie sound of a horn was heard, indicating that more enemies were on their way. Aether groaned while Venti giggled nervously, and so, they had to return to their combat stances.
Not long after engaging, the traveler heard a short sound that made him stop his blade.
“Oh, I’ve got mail,” Aether walked a few steps from the fighting, reading the message while leaving the bard to get the monsters’ attention.
Venti's eyes widened at the sudden rush of monsters coming directly at him, though luckily, he sent them flying once again.
“Woah~ Don’t do that so suddenly, traveler, so mean!”
After reading Zhongli’s message, Aether was deep in thought, looking around as if searching for something, until his eyes met the green-colored ones of the anemo archon that reciprocated the eye contact, with a touch of wonder.
Zhongli opened the new mail he received, analyzing the few words Aether had sent.
“Meet us by Duyun Ruins at 9 in the morning, bring Childe with you.”
“Meet us? If I am not mistaken, Paimon has been staying with Xiangling, and didn’t show any signs of wanting to leave any time soon. Perhaps she can easily travel back and forth,” Zhongli thought to himself.
Present Day, Duyun Ruins
Jumping from the dragon’s back, Venti beamed, “Morax! Long time no see~!” Arms wide open as he threw himself towards his old friend. But before he got too close, Zhongli shielded himself, and instead of a hug, Venti’s face was compressed against the solid surface of the geo shield.
Venti staggered a step back from the impact, raising his hand to his cheek, now starting to swell, “Ow!” He pouted.
Zhongli tried to keep his cool, throwing a look at the two boys who recently arrived,waiting for an explanation.
Aether catches on the meaningful gaze and reassures, “Don’t worry, I think we avoided being noticed by anyone.”
“Yeah, Dvalin here is… Well, he tries to be discreet when flying around. After all, I was the one who taught him that~" Venti put a hand on the dragon's body while the other gave Zhongli a thumbs up.
"Saying you were the one who taught him does not reassure me one bit…" Zhongli’s veins were protruding from distress by now. "Aside from that, aren't you supposed to be more careful not to expose your identity in front of the common folk?"
The three other men stared at Zhongli in confusion, exchanging looks between themselves, "Common folk?" Venti asked. Childe was the first to realize he was probably talking about him and began laughing at the Zhongli's seemingly forgetfulness.
"Morax, you sure only remember what you want, huh. Even I know from the traveler's stories that this boy here is the eleventh harbinger of the Fatui. If that harbinger lady took my gnosis, I'm sure this kid knows my identity by now," Venti reassured while Aether slowly nodded, feeling second-hand embarrassment.
Zhongli was at a loss for words, raising his fist to his mouth, awkwardly coughing. On the other hand, the harbinger found the situation quite funny and patted Morax's back a few times while giggling.
Zhongli met Aether's eyes, "Nevertheless, what I desire to know is why that bard and his dragon are here?"
"Well, you’ll see when we get there," Aether reassured, getting back on the dragon's back along with Venti.
Childe cheerfully jumped on, extending his hand down to the geo archon who bashfully accepted, pointedly ignoring the meaningful grins the two other boys directed at him. And with little effort, Dvalin took off to the Golden Apple Archipelago.
The Snezhnayan boy's eyes gleamed with excitement from his first-ever experience that high up, sitting between behind Aether and in front of Zhongli.
Though, his laxity almost made the reddish mask on his hair fly away, luckily being rescued by the man behind him.
"Thank you!" The powerful gushes of wind made his words difficult to understand, yet enough for Zhongli to understand them.
If any normal person would travel through the clouds in the back of a dragon for the first time in their life, surely they would practice caution or be a little wary of their surroundings.
However, because Childe was Childe, an expert in adapting fast to just about anything, the journey on the skies was far from frightening.
A few minutes had passed and the boys were already close to their destination, and with his usual carefree expression, Venti looked back at the men behind him, yelling as Dvalin descended, "Hold on tight!"
With another loud thud, Dvalin settled at the northwestern part of Twinning Isle. Aether grew anxious in anticipation, waiting for Childe to see the preparations that he and Venti had come up with in such a short timeframe.
They had the inspiration from Alice's surprise for Klee, though not as crafty as she was. With the help of Tubby back in the Serenitea Pot, he managed to decorate the place nicely with newly crafted objects.
Umbrellas and chairs painted a light shade of sky blue sat next to fishing rods, Sea Ganodermas and conches decorated the sand in a path leading to a gazebo, which had seashells and starfishes hang from the wooden ceiling, surrounded by curtains.
And inside of it, one chest stored miscellaneous things, while the one next to it contained something that Venti declared extremely necessary: summer clothing he managed to acquire. In addition to the clothes he prepared, the anemo archon was also tasked with providing the food and drinks.
Visibly so as there were at least three bottles of either dandelion or osmanthus wine for every single dish on the table. Which, of course, was all paid for with the traveler's Mora.
All in all, the table was charmingly organized. A cake with a whale drawn on top of it sat in the middle of it all, while balloons were tied to the wooden table.
Upon reaching the sand, Childe was fascinated. The ocean breeze brushing against his face, the warm sunlight of the Archipelago and the salty waves gently crashing onto the tide united all the scenery together.
He’d never seen such a tropical place in his life, so unfamiliar in comparison to his frozen homeland's weather and features.
Lost in admiration for the scenery, he had already forgotten that it was his birthday, only remembering when Zhongli called out his name, directing him to look ahead where the decorated area was put, in preparation for the celebration to commence.
Venti leaned back against Dvalin's tail, already playing a melody, as the other three walked along the decorated path.
Aether fastened his steps, going ahead and getting a small box. Then, turning back to the birthday boy, he extended the gift.
"Happy birthday, Childe."
The harbinger let out a small "thank you" before opening it.
His blue eyes twinkled as he grabbed the content inside the box for closer examination. It was a bright piece of wood with a smaller version of him, Teucer and Aether drawn on it, as well as a ruin guard, or “Mr. Cyclops” as his little brother would say, stood behind them.
Without thinking, Childe embraced Aether tightly with a wide smile across his face, and at the display of the ginger’s excitement, the traveler couldn't help but feel accomplished.
After the gift was exchanged, Venti pointed out the clothes he had prepared, which made Zhongli flinch at the thought of wearing sunglasses as eccentric as his. Luckily, they were just lighter clothes, not accessories.
Childe, already excited from the exotic scenery, went on ahead to change his clothes behind a tall rock.
Zhongli and Aether walked towards the same location, at a much slower pace than the Snezhnayan boy, who was already out of sight.
“Thank you for your efforts, traveler. You managed to surprise me as well,” Zhongli finally got the chance to say.
“It was no problem at all. I’m having fun and the ‘tone-deaf bard’ was a great help, too.”
Childe emerged from behind the rock suddenly, wearing shorts and a shirt that was presumably supposed to be buttoned up. As a matter of fact, all the attires were of a similar design, the few differences being their color schemes, a few patterns, and the boy’s usual accessories.
Before any reaction, they heard monstrous noises getting closer to the shelter. A group of hilichurls nearby seemed to have been alarmed by the dragon’s arrival.
Something inside Childe’s mind clicked and he immediately turned the way of the shrieks, getting ready to fight, “Leave them to me!”
“Oh I was counting on that,” Aether affirmed as Venti nodded. Knowing very well of the harbinger’s passion for fighting, they speculated about the attack and gladly attached it to the list of events for that day.
Aether’s words were thrown at no one though, since Childe had left as soon as those four words left his lips earlier, leaving no time to receive any reaction from the others.
Bad luck for those poor hilichurls, honestly.
Childe's hydro blades moved swiftly, leaving droplets in the sand as they slashed one after the other, ending each almost instantly, leaving little space for a counterattack. He only stopped moving when there were no more of the monsters around, either because they were actually all dead or ran away from fear.
Coming back to the shelter’s path, Childe saw that they were now fishing, which made him joyfully run to join them, and noticing that he was back, Zhongli offered Childe a fishing rod and a seat next to himself.
“Oh man, this takes me back to the old days with my dad,” The ginger said while settling down on the beach chair, “Though the temperatures are the complete opposite, haha. I wonder if my family would survive the extreme change in the weather, though.”
Zhongli and Aether listened attentively while holding their rods, all the while, the anemo archon, visibly tipsy, communicated with Dvalin nearby.
“How come you managed to adapt this easily to the sudden climate change, Childe?” Zhongli asked.
“A warrior must always adapt to any situation. If I let the heat get the best of me, I'm weakened, consequently leaving myself open to enemy attacks."
"Damn, he never changes. If it isn't about his family, the answer is always related to being a fighter… Well, it is almost comforting in a way." Aether thought, mentallyrolling his eyes while taking a sip of the drink Venti had given him.
"I see," Zhongli seriously responded, "It is indeed true. Keeping one's body and mind stable is a must when facing laborious challenges."
Childe was filled with joy upon hearing the acknowledgement. It was always pleasant to hear someone who understood his point of view.
The traveler shifted his attention upon feeling a small force pulling down the
rod.
A fish had finally taken the bait, and the eyes of the two men also moved towards him when they heard the small "oh" Aether let out.
They all rejoiced at the successful catch and its size, and the traveler went straight ahead to prepare a meal for them.
As the day went by, they had almost checked everything on the task list; They fished for a while, Aether showed the mechanisms and puzzles that Klee's mom prepared, even landing his Harpastum so Childe could try them, he also taught them how to ride and summon the Waverider, they exchanged various anecdotes, as well as how the traveler came across the Archipelago in the first place, describing the whole Dodo King saga, and finally, filled themselves with food and drinks.
The sun rapidly fell under the horizon, merging the last colored rays of marigold into the indigo night sky. Venti had managed to convince the traveler to drink with him throughout the day and, needless to say, they were quite drunk by now, though both of them had a high tolerance and were somehow still acting civilized.
While Dvalin slept, the four men sat on the sand, listening to Venti sing around the crackling campfire.
When the bard began to sing a piece about Snezhnaya, Childe seemed to have recalled something.
He shuffled through his belongings, grabbing a bottle with a clear liquid, “This was a gift I received earlier, it’s a Snezhnayan specialty alcohol, Fire-Water!”
Aether gulped nervously at the familiar name. He had heard the stories around Mondstadt, how Master Diluc spent three days in bed after drinking a single glass of it, leading to the unsuccessful partnership with the Snezhnayan merchants.
Childe poured the liquid into separate cups and went around distributing them to the boys. Sitting back in his original spot, he continued, “As per tradition, we have to down the cup in one go!”
Venti was all in for the proposal, and despite their concern at first, Zhongli and Aether respected the birthday boy’s wish.
After raising their cups in a toast, they all drank the beverage at once.
Childe cheered, rambling about how he missed the taste of the drink. Zhongli seemed to be unaffected, calm as always, smiling and listening to the Snezhnayan boy.
However, Aether didn’t seem so well, he had expected the feeling, but because of the previous drinks he shared with the bard, it seemed to have had a stronger effect on him.
Aether wasn't the most affected by the drink, though.
That one shot was the ultimatum for Venti. His vision was blurry and he couldn’t stop laughing, which alarmed the others, but before they could take action and ask what was wrong, the archon fell into the sand, a grin on his face as he passed out.
After the realization of what just happened, Aether was the first to talk, “Um, I’ll take him to the shelter. I’m feeling a bit… dizzy too. I’ll get some sleep, haha,” He was making a great effort to sound coherent.
“Hope you enjoyed your day, Childe.”
A sincere smile was directed towards the boy sitting next to Zhongli. That expression warmed Childe’s heart. Aether had put great effort into this whole day and he could tell.
Childe was about to open his mouth to say something after the traveler turned his back to them while carrying Venti, but was stopped by the blonde, “Oh, there’s something I forgot to say. If you go west from here you will find another island with a shipwreck on top of the, um… Rock structure thing. It’s a good place to watch the stars. Anyways, hehe, good night.”
That piqued the two tall men’s interest, and after watching Aether and Venti enter the shelter, Childe looked at Zhongli, who was already standing up, as if he shared the same idea as the other.
A short cruise to the Nameless Isle later, Zhongli and Childe were already walking side by side through the tide, leaving steady footprints on the sand’s surface.
When the two stopped to both admire the place and look for a way to get to the top of the rocky mountain, Zhongli noticed a mural on the rock, which showed a shipwreck and what seemed to be a few people trying to save each other.
The archon was pondering about the meaning of it when he heard Childe’s voice from behind him.
“Mr. Zhongli, there’s a wind current over here!”
Zhongli went to the other’s location, noticing the current that led to the top of the mountain.
Without much effort, both of them got to the original destination: The shipwreck Aether mentioned.
It was indeed a tragic but beautiful place; a place where one could watch the azure starry sky, pale moon glowing brightly.
The two found a spot to sit near the ship that once sailed the seas, and watched the galaxies above them.
Childe offered another shot of the Fire-Water, which the both of them shared. Zhongli closed his eyes, deep in thought.
He had been trying to find the chance to give Childe his birthday gift, but he couldn’t find the opportunity to do so. Finally, now seemed like the perfect time.
He reopened his eyes and stared at Childe, who was watching the sky attentively, blue eyes shining unitedly with the stars.
“Childe.”
Upon hearing his name, he turned to look at the archon.
“Give me your hand,” Zhongli said, reaching his own towards the harbinger.
Childe automatically did so, and after searching for an object on the pocket of his shorts, Zhongli put the present on the other’s palm.
It was a single earring made of Noctilucous Jade and Cor Lapis, in a similar fashion as the one earring Childe normally wore.
“This reminded me of you when I saw it. If you do not wish to wear it, I understand, but I do hope you could keep it with you.”
Zhongli said that but the harbinger was already taking off his original earring, making the archon a bit embarrassed at the impulsiveness of the boy, yet very pleased.
Childe had been rambling about the, now, old earring and how he had gotten it in the first place, but after a while of no response from Zhongli, he gazed at him, being met by the image of the geo archon fast asleep.
Zhongli had a high alcohol tolerance, but with the nightfall, his drowsiness had grown to an almost unbearable level, and now, he was finally subdued by it.
Ajax couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his chest, his expression softened and he decided it was time for him to rest too.
He had never had a better birthday in his life.
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